


Breaking the Ice

by TacoCat2020



Series: Gold Medal Family [2]
Category: Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Consensual Underage Sex, Drug Use, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, First Time, Kid Fic, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mild Smut, Same-Sex Marriage, Teen Angst, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 05:32:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 55,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4379168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TacoCat2020/pseuds/TacoCat2020
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snippets of the lives of the Lochte-Phelps Family.   The story begins a little less than a year after Tessa’s adoption.  Follows Cooper's career as he and his best friend Luke both make their first Olympic team.  His on again off again relationship with the new girl at school leads him to the Toronto for the 2026 Winter Olympics as a spectator. </p><p>After a while, the stress of competing and trying to keep his grades up gets to Cooper, and it puts his career and relationships in danger.</p><p>Meanwhile, Michael's past comes back to haunt him, and he and Ryan try to keep the family together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

One afternoon, while Ryan was at work and Cooper was at school, Michael and Allison sat in Michael’s living room, talking. They both had the day off from work, and were enjoying some time together… and Michael and Ryan’s eight month old daughter Tessa.

Michael bounced Tessa up and down on his knee while Allison watched him from her perch on the chair across the room.

“You look good, buddy”, she said, as a smile spread across her face. “Fatherhood suits you.”

Michael leaned down and pressed a kiss to his daughter’s head. “She’s the best”, he said fondly.

“Eeeee!”, Tessa giggled, showing Allison the teeth that had started to poke through her gums.

Allison smiled and stood up and crossed the room. She took Tessa from Michael’s lap and lifted her in the air. “Hey pretty girl!”, she said.

“Aaaaallll”, Tessa replied.

Michael’s mouth dropped open. “Tessa, did you just say ‘Dad’?”, he asked.

Allison laughed and kissed Tessa’s cheek. “I think she said ‘Al’, buddy”, she said.

Michael pouted. “Your name is my daughter’s first word?”, he asked incredulously.

Allison grinned. “Well, it’s only right”, she said, her eyes twinkling. “I’m the favorite.”

Michael shook his head. “Yeah, you really are”, he said with a grin.

Ryan and Cooper walked through the door. Cooper ran right for Allison. “Allie!”, he exclaimed as he ran towards her and hugged her, before even looking at Michael.

Michael crossed his arms and looked at Ryan. “Allie is the favorite”, he commented.

Ryan crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist. “I’m used to it”, he replied, planting a kiss on Michael’s lips. “But you’re my favorite. No offense Allie.”

Allison rolled her eyes and smiled. “None taken”, she said. “Get a room you two.” 

“Ewwwww kissing!”, Cooper said.

“Ewwwww”, Tessa agreed, repeating her brother.

“You know, Coop”, Michael began. “Someday, you might like kissing.”

“Not today!”, Cooper replied. “Can I go play video games now?”

“Sure, bud”, Ryan said. “Can you be ready for dinner in an hour, though?”

“Yes, Dad”, Cooper said as he ran down to the basement.

“Well, I should get going”, Allison said.

“Stay for dinner”, Michael said.

“Please stay, Al”, Ryan agreed. “It’s my night to cook and I always make way too much. Mike, Cooper, Debs, and I can’t eat it all.”

“Aww, Debs is coming over?” Allison said. “I wish I could stay.”

“You should!”, Michael said. “My mom keeps telling me how much she misses you.”

Allison smiled. “I… actually have a date tonight”, she said. 

Ryan’s eyes grew wide. “You do?”, he asked. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Allison grinned. “Just some guy I met online”, Allison said. “His name is Chris. He seems nice.”

“Cool”, Ryan said. “Have fun tonight.”

“Thanks”, Allison said.

Michael walked her to the door. He gave her a hug. “Have fun tonight, Allie”, he said. “Be careful, okay?”

Allison laughed. “Thanks, bro”, she said.

“Any time”, Michael replied. “Love you.”

Michael waited until she was in the car and driving down the street before closing the door. He went into the living room, and took Tessa from Ryan’s arms. “Ready for your dinner, baby girl?”, he asked.

Tessa giggled and squirmed in Michael’s arms, then reached up to take his glasses. “Eeee!”, she exclaimed.

“No Tessa, don’t take Daddy’s glasses”, Michael tried to scold her, but he couldn’t help but smile at that little face that was peering up at him. His daughter had that effect on him. Tessa thought this was hilarious.

Michael carried her into the kitchen and placed her in her highchair to feed her her dinner. Ryan followed closely behind. He watched Michael with Tessa and couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re so good with her, MP”, Ryan commented softly.

Michael smiled as he wiped some mushed carrots off of Tessa’s face. “I had a lot of practice when I babysat for Whit’s kids when they were little”, he replied. “I missed having babies around.”

When the doorbell rang, Ryan went to answer it. He led Debbie into the house and gave her a hug. She followed him into the kitchen. They both watched Michael and Tessa for a moment. Michael was bent over Tessa’s highchair making funny faces at her and making her laugh. 

When he saw Debbie in the doorway of the kitchen, his whole face lit up. He drew himself up to his full height and crossed the kitchen to wrap Debbie in a hug. “Hi Mama”, he said softly. “Thank you for coming over.”

Debbie placed her hand on Michael’s cheek. “You’re welcome, sweetheart”, she said. “Thank you for having me.”

Cooper came up the stairs and immediately went to greet Debbie. “Hi Grammy Debs!”, he exclaimed.

Debbie bent down to hug Cooper. “Hi, buddy!”, she replied. “How’s school?”

“It’s awesome!”, Cooper replied. “I love school!”  
Debbie laughed and turned to Ryan and Michael. “Did you make him rehearse that?”, she asked.

Michael shook his head. “Nope”, he said. “This is all him.”

“Grammy Debs!”. Cooper exclaimed. “I’m in the astronomy club. We’re going star gazing next weekend. I’m on the science team and we have a big competition coming up soon. It’s really fun!.”

“That sounds great, Cooper!”, Debbie replied. 

***

After they finished eating, Cooper helped clean up. Debbie was impressed. When the kitchen was clean, Cooper dragged Ryan downstairs for an epic video game battle. Michael picked up Tessa and walked into the living room. Debbie followed him, and they both sat down on the couch.

Debbie placed her hand on Michael’s arm. “I don’t have to worry about you anymore, do I, honey?”, she asked. “You’re doing so well.”

Michael smiled, and looked down at his beautiful daughter in his lap. “I’m really happy, Mama”, he replied.

“I’m glad”, Debbie said. “It’s good to see you so happy. You have a good life.”

Michael nodded. “I do”, he said. “I love my job. This house is beautiful. I have Ryan and Cooper and Allison, and this little lady right here.”

Debbie smiled, and took Tessa from Michael’s arms. “And how is my girl?”, she asked.

Tessa showed her appreciation for her grandmother by spitting up all over her sweater, and giggling like crazy.

Michael cringed. “Sorry, Mama”, he said.

“It’s okay sweetie”, Debbie said, patting his cheek. “I’m used to it. Tessa, your daddy used to do that to me all the time.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Thanks a lot, Ma”, he said with a laugh.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, okay Tessa?”, she said.

“Mama, give me your sweater and I’ll throw it in the wash, okay?”, Michael said. “I’ll get you a sweatshirt to wear.”

“Thanks honey”, Debbie said, handing him her sweater. “I’ll get Tessa ready for bed.”

Michael tossed it i the laundry basket, and got an old sweatshirt for Debbie out of the closet. Debbie took Tessa upstairs to change her and get her washed up for bedtime.

“Thank you, Michael”, Debbie said, wrapping herself in the sweatshirt. “Tessa is in her crib.”

“Thanks for doing that, Ma”, Michael said. “Tessa seems to love you.”

Debbie laughed. “Except when she spits up on me”, she said.

Michael laughed too. “Thanks again”, he said.

“No problem, sweetie”, Debbie said. “I should go home.”

Michael shook his head. “Stay here tonight”, he said. “The guest room is all made up.”

Debbie smiled. “Thank you Michael, but I have an early meeting tomorrow. I should get home and prepare for that.”

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said. “Lunch this weekend?”

Debbie kissed Michael on the cheek. “That would be wonderful, dear”, she said.

Michael walked her to the door. “Good night, Mom”, he said. “I love you.”

“I love you too”, Debbie said. “Say good night to Ryan and Cooper for me.”

“I will”, Michael said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three Years Later - The Year 2022

Ryan was racing up and down the stairs trying to get packed for a quick last minute business trip. His gym was opening a new location in upstate New York, and he was asked to go help them get set up.

“I’m almost done”, he yelled down the stairs, as Michael juggled Tessa in one arm, and the dinner ingredients in the other.

“Take your time!”, Michael called back. “I’ve got this!”

“Mike!”, Cooper yelled up the stairs, “Do I have to come up for dinner yet?”

“Not yet!”, Michael called back, as he stopped to place Tessa in her booster seat. “Ten more minutes, okay?”

“Okay!”, Cooper called back.

Ryan ran down the stairs again and into the kitchen. “I love you, babe”, he said as he wrapped his arms around Michael in a tight hug. “I’ll be back in two days, tops.”

Michael nodded. “No worries”, he replied. “I’ve got everything under control here.”

“I know, babe”, Ryan said. “but…”

“I’m gonna miss you”, Michael said softly.

“I miss you already”, Ryan said as he wound his arm around Michael’s waist, and slipped his fingers underneath the waistband of his jeans. “I love you.”

“I love you too”, Michael said, as he planted a firm kiss on Ryan’s lips.

Ryan’s fingertips were still skimming Michael’s waist. He ran the tip of his thumb along Michael’s hipbone.

“Baby”, Michael groaned, as he sank into Ryan’s arms. “Feels so good.”

Outside, the cab driver honked his horn to signal his arrival, and to let Ryan know that it was time to leave for the airport. 

Ryan groaned. “Shit”, he groaned. “To be continued?”

Michael sighed and nodded. “I wish I was going with you”, he said. “but… kids.”

“Damn kids”, Ryan joked. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Be good”, Michael replied.

Cooper came running up the stairs. “Bye Dad!”, he called, as he ran to Ryan to give him a hug.

“Bye Cooper”, Ryan replied. “Help Mike take care of your sister, okay?”

Cooper nodded. “I know, Dad”, he said.

“We can handle it, right Coop?”, Michael asked.

“Uh huh”, Cooper replied.

Outside the cab driver honked his horn again. Ryan picked up his suitcase. “Okay, now I really have to go”, he said. “Bye everyone!”

“Bye!”, Cooper, Michael, and Tessa replied in unison.

Ryan ran out the door to meet the waiting cab, and Michael settled in to make dinner for his kids.

“Mike, can I invite Luke over?”, Cooper asked as they began to clean up.

Michael sighed. It was a school night. When he was Cooper’s age, Debbie insisted that homework had to be done before friends could come over. “Is your homework done, bud?”, he asked.

Cooper looked down at the table then back up at Michael. “No”, he said sheepishly. 

“You know the rules, buddy”, Michael said.

Cooper pouted. “I know”, he said.

Michael laughed. “Okay”, he said. “Tell you what. If you promise to do some homework while Luke is here, and if you don’t tell Dad….”

“Really?!?”, Cooper asked.

Michael nodded. “You’re a good kid”, he said. “Have fun.”

 

***

The next night, Cooper was playing with his sister on the living room floor. His art supplies were next to them on the floor. He had spent an hour or so drawing after dinner. Michael was taking a nap on the couch. 

Before Cooper could do anything to stop it, Tessa took a blue marker and scribbled along the side of the wall next to the side table.

“Tessa, no!”, Cooper exclaimed. Tessa giggled, and Cooper couldn’t help but laugh himself.

Michael woke up from his nap when he heard the kids giggling. “What’s going on?”, he asked. Then he looked up and saw the scribbles on the wall. He jumped off the couch and ran over to them. “Tessa, honey. What are you doing?”

Tessa giggled. “Pretty!”, she said.

“Tessa, no!”, Michael exclaimed.

Tessa was still holding the marker. She dragged it along Michael’s cheek and giggled again. “Daddy pretty!”, she said happily.

Michael tried not to laugh, but ended up laughing anyway as he took the marker out of Tessa’s hand. “Cooper, you were supposed to be watching her!”, he exclaimed.

Cooper blushed. “Sorry”, he said.

Michael laughed again. “It’s okay”, he said. “We’ll figure out a way to fix it.”

***

Ryan came home the next afternoon. Tessa was in her playpen, Cooper was doing homework at the kitchen table, and Michael was bustling around the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

Ryan burst through the door. “Hello, my beautiful family!”, he exclaimed, announcing his arrival.

“Hi Dad!”, Cooper said without looking up from his math homework.

“Hey, babe”, Michael said, wrapping his arms around Ryan.

Ryan kissed him. “Hey”, he said softly. “I missed you.”

“So, I have something to tell you”, Michael said. “Or, show you, really.”

“A surprise?”, Ryan asked, excitedly. “For me?”

Michael made a face. “Don’t get too excited”, he said with a laugh as he led Ryan into the living room.

He didn’t even have to say anything. Ryan looked across the room and saw Tessa’s drawing, and burst out laughing. “We can fix that”, he said. “No problem.”

“Sorry”, Michael said. “I fell asleep for a little while last night after dinner…”

Ryan laughed. “It’s cool, honey”, he said. “Get me the iPad.”  
Michael led Ryan back into the kitchen, and handed him the iPad, which was sitting on the counter next to the stove. Michael had a page open to the recipe for the dinner he was making. “Here you go”, he said. “What did you have in mind?”

Ryan opened up Pinterest, and found the Pin he was looking for. “Here”, he said. “It shows you how to turn a kid’s scribble on the wall into a cool design. I’ll go out and buy some supplies after dinner. I’ll make it look cool.”

Michael smiled. “Nice”, he said. Then he shook his head. “I can’t believe you have a Pinterest account.”

Ryan smirked and handed Michael the iPad. “It’s your Pinterest account, MP”, he replied.

Michael shook his head. “It must be Hilary’s”, he protested.

Ryan laughed as he looked over Michael’s shoulder. “Hilary’s account name is ‘MPgold08’?” he asked.

Michael’s face turned red. “Okay, fine”, he said. “My mom, sisters, and Al all use it to get dinner ideas. They told me I should get one too…”

Ryan laughed. “Whatever you say, MP”, he replied.

“Everyone’s a critic”, Michael replied with a smirk, as he leaned in to plant a kiss on Ryan’s lips.

***

“Cooper”, Ryan said after dinner that night. “I’m going to the store to get some more art supplies. Do you want to come?”

Cooper nodded vigorously. “Yes!”, he said, jumping up to join Ryan by the door.

“You don’t have to ask him twice!”, Michael commented.

When they came home a little while later, Ryan brought some paint into the living room, and in a matter of minutes, he was able to turn Tessa’s scribble into a very nice design.

“It looks great, Babe”, Michael said. “We should put a matching one on the other side of the room.”

Ryan laughed. “Well if our little artist draws all over the wall again, we’ll be ready he replied.”


	3. Chapter 3

_Late Summer 2023_

Michael was stressed. He had been traveling nonstop with his elite team. Most of them had done exceptionally well throughout the season, and he was proud of them. A few weeks after Worlds in Melbourne, his swimmers were back to training, but like him, by the time they all got home they were exhausted and their exhaustion meant that they were not performing up to their usual standards.

After a particularly difficult practice and everyone had gone home, Michael was sitting in his office, working through the mountain of paperwork that had accumulated.

Allison quietly knocked on the doorjamb. “You okay, bud?”, she asked gently.

Michael looked up from his paperwork and peered at her over the top of his glasses. He ran his fingers along the stubble on his chin. “Yeah”, he said. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

Allison shrugged. “I don’t know”, she said. “You’ve just seemed kind of… on edge since you came home from Worlds.”

Michael smiled. “I think I’m still a little tired from all of the craziness of the past few months”, he admitted. “Plus, Cooper is going to be starting high school soon, and that’s crazy.”

“That is crazy”, Allison agreed, as she walked into the office and sat down across from Michael. “It seems like only yesterday he walked into here for the first time, and now he wants to go to the Olympics next year.”

Michael nodded. “He has a lot of work to do”, he said. “but yeah. He definitely wants it, and depending on how he does over the next couple of weeks, Ryan and I need to talk about getting him into the Elite group, so he can start really preparing. It’s all very overwhelming.”

“Get out of here”, Allison ordered. “I’ll wrap everything up here. You need to de-stress.”

Michael nodded and laughed. “Thanks, Al”, he said,

After Michael left work, he stopped at home for a few minutes, then decided to go for a run. When he got home after pushing himself a few miles past his normal workout, he went upstairs to take a shower, then went back downstairs to help Ryan finish making dinner.

After they ate, Tessa went into the playroom, and Cooper went down the street to Luke’s house.

“We should take the kids on vacation before school starts”, Michael said as they cleaned the kitchen. “It would be a nice way to relax from the busy summer, and just have some fun as a family.”

Ryan nodded. “That would be nice”, he said. “What did you have in mind?”

Michael considered this. “We could take a road trip down to North Carolina, maybe drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway?”

Ryan nodded. “That would be fun”, he said. “Cooper loves camping. Do you think we could camp a bit? We can get a hotel for part of the time if you don’t want to camp the whole time.”

“That sounds like fun to me”, Michael said. 

A few days later, the four of them piled into Michael’s Escalade for their road trip. They were going to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, spend some time in the mountains, go camping, and enjoy some time together before Cooper started High School. 

They had reservations at a campground along the trail. When they arrived at the campground, the set up their tent, then went off to find somewhere to eat dinner. After dinner they stopped at a grocery store to buy some supplies for making s’mores.

“Dad, can I build the fire?”, Cooper asked once they were back at their camp site.

Ryan glanced over at Michael who nodded. “I think that would be okay, Coop”, he said. “Be careful, okay?”

Cooper nodded. “I know”, he said. He carefully placed the logs in the fire pit and lit the match. When the fire got going, he roasted a marshmallow for Tessa and showed her how to make a s’more.

Soon, Tessa was covered in chocolate and marshmallow. “Messy!”, she said with a giggle. 

Cooper laughed. “Very messy”, he agreed. “But yummy. You like?”

Tessa kicked her little legs back and forth in her chair. “Yes!”, she said. “Thanks, brother!”

Cooper kissed the top of his sister’s head. “You’re welcome”, he said. “I love you.”

“Love you brother”, Tessa replied, giving him a messy kiss.

Michael laughed and picked her up from her chair. “Okay, time to get Messy Tessy to bed”, he said, wiping her face. 

Michael took Tessa into the tent, and Ryan and Cooper sat at the picnic table. “So Cooper”, Ryan began. “What are you most looking forward to about starting high school?”

“Parties and Dances and making friends”, Cooper said. “And swimming. Lots and Lots of swimming. I’m going to help Bob with the little kids’ classes.”

“That’s great, Cooper”, Ryan said. 

“I want to get better and better at swimming”, Cooper said. “Trials are next year.”

“That’s right”, Ryan said. “Do you want to go to the Olympics?”

Cooper nodded. “I want to”, he said. “But I need to improve my times.”

“You’ll get there”, Ryan said. “If it’s something that you really want, and if you work hard, you’ll get there. Bob, Mike, and Allison will help you. So will I.”

Cooper smiled. “Thanks, Dad”, he said.

 

***

The next afternoon, they stopped for lunch on their way home. The four of them sat at a table outside at a neighborhood cafe. They were enjoying their family time together, laughing and talking as they ate their lunch. Ryan looked up, and locked eyes with a familiar face pushing a baby carriage. 

“Ryan?”, Sarah asked when she saw him sitting there.

Ryan hadn’t seen Sarah since that night eight years before when she came to the house and upset him, Michael and Cooper. “Sarah”, Ryan said. “Hi.”

“Hi”, Ryan said. The words caught in his throat. When he was able to compose himself, he continued. “What’s…going on?”

Sarah smiled warmly. “I’m just out for an afternoon walk”, she said, gesturing towards the baby carriage and the sleeping baby inside. “This is my daughter Eleanor. Ellie for short.”

Ryan smiled. “Wow”, he said. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks”, she said. “So, what’s new with you?”

Ryan swallowed. “Well, you remember Mike, I’m sure”, he said. “we adopted a little girl a few years ago, and now we’re all on a vacation together, before Cooper starts high school in a couple weeks.”

“High school”, Sarah repeated. “Wow. Hi Cooper.”

Cooper didn’t look up from cutting up Tessa’s lunch for her. “Hi”, he said.

Sarah looked back over at Ryan. “Well, it was nice to see all of you”, she said. “Have a nice afternoon.”

“You too”, Sarah said as she continued her walk down the street.

Cooper looked up and watched her walk away, then he went back to playing with Tessa. Ryan was waiting for him to react.

“Sarah has a family”, Ryan said softly, as Michael took his hand. “Cooper? Are you okay, bud?”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said softly. “She figured out how to be a mom. I think that’s nice.”

Ryan shared a glance with Michael who smiled at him. Ryan smiled back and turned to Cooper and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “It is nice”, he agreed. “You’re right, Coop.”

 

***

Later that night, after they put Tessa to bed and Cooper went up to his room, Michael and Ryan flopped down onto the couch together. Ryan reached over to touch Michael, and ran his hand up the front of Michael’s shirt. Warm skin on warm skin, Ryan gently rubbed his hand up and down Michael’s torso. His muscles were less defined now, but still, at 38 years old, and 7 years after retirement, he was still lean and strong.

“Dude”, Ryan said as he rubbed his thumb along Michael’s side. “You’re perfect. So unfair.”

Michael laughed softly. “Nah”, he protested sheepishly.

Ryan pinched him. “Yes”, he said. “Perfection.”

Michael smiled and kissed the top of Ryan’s head. “So”, he said gently, as he transitioned to a new topic. “About who we saw today. You okay with all of that?”

Ryan reached down and squeezed Michael’s knee. “Yeah, I am”, he said. “After all this time, I’m really okay.”

Michael smiled. “Good”, he said. “And Cooper’s reaction? How about that?”

Ryan laughed. “That kid, man”, he said. “He’s so mature. In that one moment, our fourteen year old son taught me, at almost forty years old, everything I need to know about forgiveness.”

Michael kissed Ryan again. “Cooper is a good kid”, he said.

“He sure is”, Ryan agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

After their family vacation, it was time to start planning for the upcoming school year. Tessa was starting kindergarten, Cooper was starting high school. Michael and Ryan couldn’t believe how fast the kids were growing. Grandma Debbie couldn’t stop crying because she was so proud of all four of them.

The night before the first day of school, everyone gathered for dinner at Debbie’s house.

Whitney gave Michael a hug. “You look great, little brother”, she said.

Michael laughed. “I’m trying”, he said. “I kind of… got out of some of my healthy habits over the summer.”

Debbie rolled her eyes and laughed. “Nonsense”, she said. “You look good, honey.”

“Thanks guys”, Michael said. “Once the kids are in school, Ryan and I are going to try to work out more before and after work. I can’t be out of shape while lecturing my swimmers about nutrition and workouts.”

Ryan laughed. “Yeah, and who ever heard of an out of shape personal trainer?”, he asked.

Debbie laughed again. “You boys look wonderful”, she said.

Michael laughed. “I just want to get back in shape and get back to eating healthy”, he said. “Nothing too crazy.”

“Well if you boys are both going to be dieting, who’s going to eat this delicious dinner I made?”, she asked.

Michael smiled and gave his mother a hug. “I supposed we can help out with that”, he said with a grin. “The diet can wait!”

***

After dinner, everyone sat around talking. “Whit, how are the kids?”, he asked. “I haven’t seen them for a while.”

Whitney smiled. “They’re good”, she said. “They’re with their dad tonight. Taylor is moving into her dorm tomorrow and Connor is driving his new car for the first time to school in the morning.”

“Wow”, Michael breathed. “They’re growing up so fast.”

Whitney nodded. “I know”, she said. “Crazy, huh?”

“Cooper is starting high school tomorrow”, Michael added.

“Are you excited, Coop?”, Debbie asked.

Cooper nodded. “I am”, he said. “I think it’s going to be fun.”

“Are you going to join the swim team at the high school?”, Hilary asked.

Cooper shook his head. “No”, he said. “I’m going to continue training at NBAC. That will take up most of my time.”

“I’m starting kindergarten!”, Tessa spoke up from her perch on Michael’s lap.

“Are you excited, sweetie?”, Debbie asked.

Tessa’s smile faded. “What’s going to happen?”, she asked.

Cooper stood up and lifted his sister out of Michael’s lap, and sat her on his hip. “It’s going to be so much fun”, he told her. “You’re going to make a lot of friends and learn all kids of cool things!”

Tessa pressed her little hand against Cooper’s cheek. “Will the other kids like me?”, she asked worriedly.

Cooper kissed the top of Tessa’s head. “Of course they’re going to like you, baby sister!”, he said. “You’re a fun and sweet little girl and people will love you.”

“I’m not a baby!”, Tessa told him matter-of-factly.

Michael laughed from his position on the couch. He had been leaning on Ryan’s shoulder, but sat up straighter to look at the kids. “You know what Tessa?”, he asked. “Auntie Hilary and Auntie Whitney still call me their baby brother and I’m not a baby either!”

“You’re not a baby, Daddy!”, Tessa giggled. “You’re OLD!”

Michael pouted. “I’m not old!”, he protested and everyone laughed.

***

After a while, everyone started to filter out. As Michael and Ryan gathered their family to leave, Debbie took Michael aside.

“You’re wonderful, sweet boy”, she said. “You look happy and healthy, and those kids and Ryan adore you.”

Michael smiled softly at that and leaned down to kiss his mother on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom”, he said. “I feel lucky. Lucky and happy.”

“Are you nervous?”, Debbie asked.

Michael nodded. “Tessa is going to be in kindergarten!”, he exclaimed. “I’m excited and she’s going to do great, but it was fun having her home during the day on my days off. Cooper is going to be in high school and training harder than ever for swimming. It’s going to be a busy time.”

“A fun time”, Debbie said knowingly,

Michael nodded. “A lot of fun”, he said. “Love you, Mama.”

“Love you so much, honey”, she replied. She walked over to Ryan and gave him a hug too. “Love you Ryan.”

“Love you too, Debbie”, he replied.

***

The four of them left to go home. During the whole car ride back to Towson, Tessa continued to ask questions about kindergarten. Ryan, Cooper, and Michael did their best to answer all of her questions. By the time they pulled into the driveway, she was sound asleep.

Cooper lifted her up and carried her into the house. When she was in bed, he went back downstairs where Ryan and Michael were. He poured himself a glass of water, and joined them in the living room.  
“Are you excited about tomorrow, Cooper?”, Michael asked.

Cooper nodded. “It’s going to be fun”, he said. “I have practice right after school. I have a big city wide meet coming up.”

***

The next morning, they all had breakfast together before going off in separate directions.

“I can take Cooper to the high school on my way to the gym if you want to take Tessa to the elementary school on your way to Meadowbrook”, Ryan said.

“Sounds great!”, Michael said, as he leaned down to fill the dishwasher. “Same arrangement for pickup?”

“Sure”, Ryan said.

“Actually, I’m getting a ride to the pool with Luke and his parents after school”, Cooper said.

“Oh perfect”, Michael said. “So, I’ll just stay at work a little late and the two of us can come home together?”

Cooper smiled. “Great”, he said.

***

Later that morning, Cooper and Luke were at their lockers chatting before class. Cooper caught a glimpse of a tall, thin girl with her long blonde hair swept up on top of her head. She smiled at everyone she passed, and walked with confidence through the halls. He had never seen her around before. “Wow”, he breathed. “Look at her!”

Luke looked where Cooper had pointed. “She’s cute!”, he replied with a nod. He watched her go into the same room that he and Cooper were going into for homeroom. “Look where she’s going!”

Cooper laughed. “Good way to start the year!”, he replied.

“Cooper, look!”, Luke exclaimed in a low voice. He gestured towards the girl’s backpack where she had attached an Olympic rings patch. “It’s fate.”

Cooper laughed. “Fate”, he repeated. “Yeah, okay”

“You should talk to her!”, Cooper said. “Mention the thing on her backpack to get the conversation going. You have to break the ice somehow!”  
Cooper laughed. “Maybe later”, he said.

Luke grinned. “If you don’t break the ice, you can’t get wet!”, he replied. He didn’t wait for Cooper to reply. He just laughed and took off down the hall.

Cooper rolled his eyes and ran after his friend. High school was going to be great.


	5. Chapter 5

Cooper and Luke walked into their homeroom. They each took a seat at the back of the room, right behind the blonde girl. She was leaning back in her chair with her long legs stretched out in front of her.

Luke let out a low whistle and nudged Cooper in the ribs. Cooper ignored him. He still couldn’t stop staring.

“Coop”, Luke hissed.

“Huh?”, Cooper asked snapping out of his daze.

“What are you doing after school today?”, Luke asked.

Cooper looked at him like he was crazy. “I have practice”, he said. “We both do.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I know that, Dummy”, he said with a laugh. “I meant after practice. Want to hang out?”

Cooper nodded. “Sure”, he said.

“So, when are you going to join the Elite team?”, Luke asked. “Trials are next summer and you’re going to have to start training harder.”

Cooper nodded. “I know”, he said. “I have to talk to my dad and Mike about it. I’ll ask them what they think after the meet this weekend. I want to be ready for trials. I want to go to the Olympics. I just need to see what they think.”

“Awesome”, Luke said. “You’ve gotta do it. How cool would it be if we both got to go to Budapest?”

“Amazing”, Cooper agreed.

****

Cooper stood atop the highest podium as he received his medal. He raised his arms in the air to the sounds of the “Star Spangled Banner” as it began to play.

“…Gold Medal and a new world record in the 800 Meter Freestyle. From the United States of America… Cooper Lochte!”   
***

“Cooper Lochte”, the teacher repeated, as he took attendance.

“Coop”, Luke said, nudging Cooper again.

Cooper had been daydreaming. He practically jumped out of his seat. “Oh”, he said, embarrassed. “Here.”

In front of him, the blonde girl giggled.

“Katarina Long”, the teacher said.

The blonde girl raised her hand, and her shirt lifted up a bit, giving Cooper and Luke a glimpse of a strip of skin between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of her denim shorts. “Here”, she said.

When the homeroom teacher finished attendance, the bell rang, signaling that it was time for the students to make their way to their first class of the day.

“What class do you have?”, Luke asked. 

Cooper looked at the printout of his schedule. “Honors Bio with McLean”, he said. “You?”

Luke nodded. “Same”, he said.

They walked to class together, and took a seat at a lab bench in the classroom. Caroline, one of their classmates from middle school sat across from them.

“Hey guys”, she said.

“Hey”, Luke and Cooper both replied.

“Did you guys have a good summer?”, she asked.

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “Lots of swim practice and I went away with my family for a bit. Good times.”

“Same”, Luke said. “I started training with the Elite group at NBAC. I’m trying to talk Cooper into joining as well.”

“You should do it, Cooper”, Caroline said.

“I think I might”, Cooper said. “How was your summer?”

“It was fun”, Caroline said. “I went to the camp that I’ve been going to since elementary school, hung out with friends. That sort of stuff.”

“Cool”, Cooper said. He was trying to concentrate on what Caroline was saying, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the doorway. Katarina had just walked in.

“Kat!”, Caroline said. “Come sit over here!”

“You know her?”, Cooper asked incredulously.

Caroline nodded. “Yup”, she replied. “Her family just moved in across the street from me. “She’s cute, huh?”

Cooper nodded. “Uh-huh”, he replied distractedly, as Luke and Caroline laughed.

“Cooper has a crush”, Luke told Caroline.

Katarina came over to join the group. “Hi guys”, she said as she sat down at the table.

“Kat, this is Luke and Cooper”, Caroline said gesturing across the table.

Kat smiled. “Hi”, she said.

When class started, the teacher assigned lab groups for the semester. Cooper, Luke, Caroline, and Kat were going to be a group. The four of them were happy with that.

On the way out of class, Cooper walked with Kat. “Hi”, he said.

Kat smiled at him. “Hey”, she said. “You’re… Michael Phelps’ son, aren’t you?”

Cooper nodded. “Technically, he’s my stepdad”, he said. “but he’s basically like another dad to me. We’re pretty close. Do you swim?”

Kat shook her head. “No”, she said. “Well, at least not as much as your family does.

Cooper laughed. “Yeah. I don’t think anyone swims as much as we do”, he said, as he looked at her backpack. He was dying to know about the Olympic Rings patch that was sewn onto the the pocket on her backpack. “I like your Olympic rings patch. What sport?”  
“Figure skating”, Kat replied. “I didn’t make the team for Beijing last year, so I’m hoping for 2026. I put the patch on my bag for motivation.”

Cooper smiled at her. “Cool”, he said. “That’s a good idea. I have posters of swimmers all over my room. That’s my motivation for Budapest in 2024.”

“Awesome”, Kat said. “So what class do you have now?”

“Literature”, Cooper said as he looked down at his schedule. “You?”

“French”, Kat replied. “Looks like my classroom is on this hallway. So, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yup”, Cooper said. “Later.”

****

After school, Cooper went to the pool for his daily swim practice. As he walked out of the locker room, he looked out the window at Mike’s Elite team. He watched Luke execute a perfect dive, his long limbs slicing through the water. He wished that he was out there with them. He knew that he’d have to work harder than ever if he wanted to swim at the level of the elite group and be ready for Olympic trials the following summer.

Bob must have read his mind because he handed him a training plan for the day with the hardest sets Cooper had ever seen listed on it. It was printed on lined paper in Bob’s precise handwriting. The thought of it made Cooper’s head spin.

“It’s nothing you can’t handle”, Bob said with a shrug, seeing the look of terror on Cooper’s face. “You’re the best swimmer in your age group and we have to get you ready for the meet this weekend.”

“I want to join the elite team”, Cooper said before he could stop himself.

“Then work for it”, Bob said automatically. “Get in the pool, Lochte.”

Cooper nodded and walked across the deck. He dove into the pool and began the workout that Bob had planned for him. He pulled himself through the water, pushing harder with each stroke. When he finished his set, he hoisted himself out of the water and on to the deck. He was ready for a break.

Bob smiled when he saw him. “You looked good out there, Cooper”, he said. “How are you feeling?”

Cooper made a face. “My legs feel like jelly”, he said. “Everything hurts, but like… in a good way. I feel like I really worked hard.”

“That’s a good thing”, Bob said. “Not that your legs feel like jelly, but that you feel like you worked hard. That’s what it’s like every day with the Elite group. That’s why I gave you that workout today. I know that you’ve been thinking about joining them, so I wanted you to have a taste of what they go through. You’ve heard Mike’s horror stories about what I made him do. He puts those guys through much worse.”

Cooper laughed. “He learned from the best”, he replied.

Bob rolled his eyes. “Yeah, so did you, ass kisser”, he replied. “Go have some gatorade and a powerbar and get back in the pool. You’re far from done.”

****

When practice was over, Cooper went into the locker room to change. When he was leaving, he met up with Luke.

“Ready?”, Cooper asked him.

Luke nodded. “Yup”, he said. “Will Mike drive us home?”

“I think so”, Cooper said.

They walked down the hall to Michael’s office where he was chatting with Allison.

“Hi Allie!”, Cooper greeted her.

“Hi Cooper!”, Allison said. “How was your summer?”

“It was good”, Cooper said.

“Good”, Allison said. She held out her arms to him. “Are you too old to give your Auntie Allie a hug?”

Cooper smiled and shook his head. “Never”, he replied, as he went to her waiting arms.

“How was practice today, boys?”, Allison asked them.

“Good”, Luke said.

“Exhausting”, Cooper said. “but awesome.”

“Exhausting is good”, Allison said. “It means that you’re working hard.”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “That’s what Bob said.”

“Bob knows best”, Allison replied. “What events are you doing in the city wide meet next weekend?”

“800 free, 400 IM, and 200 back”, Cooper replied. “I might die.”

Allison laughed. “You’re going to be great”, she said.

“Thanks Allie”, Cooper replied. “Hey Mike, can you drive me and Luke home?”

“Of course”, Michael said. “Luke, would you like to have dinner at our house tonight?’

“That would be great!”, Luke replied. “Thanks!”

Michael took the two boys back to the house and everyone ate dinner together. When they finished, Cooper and Luke went downstairs to play video games.

“Hey, do you want some ice cream?”, Cooper asked when they finished a level of their game.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Must you always _feed_?”, he asked..

Cooper pouted. “I’m sorry”, he said. “That workout kicked my ass today! I burned off tons of calories and now I’m starving!”

Luke laughed. “Just wait until you join the Elite group”, he said. “Mike is crazy.”

“So I’ve heard”, Cooper said.

“But anyway, it’s awesome”, Luke said. “We’re working on tons of drylands stuff, and Allie gave us some really healthy, yummy recipes that she got from the OTC. Now I need to learn how to cook.”

“Cool”, Cooper said.

“So how did your chat with Kat go after Bio?”, Luke asked.

Cooper smiled. “It was cool. She’s nice”, she said. “She’s a figure skater. Training for 2026.”

“Awesome”, Like said. “You should ask her to the Homecoming Dance.”

“I think I might”, Cooper said. “This is going to be a really fun year.”

The fun was only getting started.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as a reminder: In this universe, Ryan is not an a Olympian. It's been a while since he's talked about his past, so I just wanted to throw that out out there that he swam in College and always looked up to Michael.

The city-wide meet fell on a Saturday. Michael’s Elite swimmers were finished with practice, so Michael was able to sit down and watch the meet with the family. He and Ryan were sitting on the bleachers at Meadowbrook with Tessa between them. Cooper was entered in the 400 IM, 200 Back, and 800 freestyle. 

Debbie was sitting next to Michael, and had her hand resting on his back. She watched his face as he proudly watched Cooper, while holding Ryan’s had. His eyes were so full of love and pride. She caught a tear roll down his cheek.

Debbie smiled and rubbed his back. “Now you know how I always felt watching you compete all those years”

Michael leaned on his mother’s shoulder. “Yeah”, he said. “He’s an amazing kid and he makes me so proud”

“You and Ryan should talk about getting Cooper into the Elite group”, she said. “He’s good enough for the Olympics and he’ll need to start training harder.”

“You’re right”, Michael said. “He is good enough and he’d love training with them. His best friend is in the group, so that would be good for both of them to have each other there. It would be great to see him do it, but I need to see what Bob thinks. He knows Cooper’s current training plan better than I do.”

“It’s definitely something we need to talk about”, Ryan cut in. “He’s good enough, and he really wants it.”

“It’s a big commitment”, Debbie said. “Just remember how it was for you at that age…”

“I was a skinny, big-eared freak”, Michael replied and Debbie laughed.

“Cooper’s not…”, Ryan began, as he glanced at their tall, lanky son standing on the other side of the pool deck with his hands on his narrow hips. “…big eared.”

Michael laughed. “The kid eats anything that won’t eat him first”, he said. “how the hell is he that thin?”

“He takes after Sarah in that way”, Ryan replied. “She always had a crazy fast metabolism. Not to mention that Cooper works out like crazy.”

“You were like that at Cooper’s age”, Debbie told Michael.

“He still is”, Ryan said, as he leaned over to squeeze Michael’s knee.

“If he does join the Elite group, you’re going to have to work on his nutrition”, Debbie said. “He’s going to need to eat a lot, but you’ll need to make sure that he’s eating good things, not just junk.”

Michael nodded. “I know, Ma”, he said. “Allie can work on that with him. The Elite group kids each meet with her once a week to talk about proper eating habits, especially during heavy training times.”

“That’s great”, Debbie said. “It seems like Allison is doing really well with her new role.”

“Yeah”, Michael said, smiling proudly. “She’s been great.”

Allison was still teaching swimming lessons for little kids, but had also begun working with the Elite group on nutrition. On top of that, she was conducting therapy sessions and talking to the athletes about post-Olympic depression and the importance of asking for help.

 

Cooper was swimming well and Ryan and Michael were proud of their son. They were having a fun family day together, but Tessa was beginning to get restless. A long day at the pool tended to be a bit much for a six year old. Tessa was having a lot of fun in her swimming lessons, and she looked up to her big brother, but after a while, she wanted to go home to play.

“Daddy”, she whined. “I’m bored.”

“Tessa”, Michael said with warning in his voice. “We’re watching your brother swim right now. It’s not too much longer. When it’s over, we’re going to go home and have dinner with Auntie Allie and Uncle Chris, okay?”

Tessa crossed her arms and pouted. “I wanna go now!”

“Tessa”, Ryan said gently. “Be patient, okay? Your brother watches your meets.”

“I know”, Tessa whined.

“Okay”, Michael said. “So why don’t you watch Cooper’s meet, then as soon as we go home you’ll get to see Auntie Allie!”

Tessa finally smiled. “Okay”, she said.

“Jeah!”, Ryan said, reaching over to tickle his daughter.

Tessa giggled. “Jeah!”, she repeated.

Michael rolled his eyes and turned to smile at Ryan. “She gets that from you”, he said.

“Jeah!”, Ryan replied.

Cooper ended up winning all of his events, each by more than a full body length. Michael and Ryan were so proud. Tessa was still bored, but clapped along with the crowd, and threw herself at her big brother when he came over to greet the family.

“Coop!”, she exclaimed, as he bent down to pick her up. “You’re good!”

Cooper laughed. “Thanks, little sis!”, he said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

Bob came over to the bleachers to greet them. “Hi Michael, Hi Ryan”, he said. “Cooper, great job today.”

“Thanks”, Cooper replied.

“Will you join me in my office?”, he asked.

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said, glancing over at Ryan.

Ryan looked over at Tessa, who was getting restless. “You go”, he said. “I’ll take Tessa to the park next door. Meet us over there?”

“Okay”, Michael said as he and Cooper followed the coach down to his office. 

“So, as I’m sure you know, Cooper is a very talented athlete”, he said.

Michael nodded. “We’re very proud”, he said.

“…and as you know, with his times, he very easily qualifies for Olympic Trials.”

Michael nodded again and looked over at Cooper who was smiling. “I know”, he said. “What do you think, Coop?”

Cooper’s eyes were wide. “I really really want to”, he said. “Can I?”

Bob looked thoughtful. “With some more training, absolutely”, he said. “You should think about joining the elite group.”

Michael smiled. “We’d love to have you”, he said looking at Cooper proudly.

“So, it’s certainly something that you should think about as a family”, he said. “but if you want it, you should go for it.”

“Let’s talk to Dad tonight at dinner”, Michael said.

“Okay!”, Cooper said.

 

***

“How was the park?”, Michael asked while they all ate dinner together that night.

“It was fun!”, Tessa said. “My friends from swimming were there. I went on the monkey bars!”

“You did?”, Michael exclaimed. “That’s great, sweetie!”

“How was the talk with Bob?”, Ryan asked.

“He thinks I should go to Olympic Trials this summer”, Cooper replied.

“Do you want to do it?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper looked at Ryan, then at Michael. “I really do”, he said. “I would have to join Mike’s elite group to prepare better.”

“What do you think about all of this, Mike?”, Ryan asked. “You’ve been through it.”

“It’s hard”, Michael said. “There’s a lot of pressure. You have to work very hard, but it’s nothing that you can’t handle, Coop.”

“Can I do it?”, Cooper asked.

Ryan and Michael looked at each other. “Yes”, Ryan said. “If this is something that you really want, we’ll all support you.”

“You’ve been swimming so well for so long, this was bound to happen”, Ryan said with a smile. “I’m proud of you, Coop.”

“So, now we have to get you to the pool!”, Michael said.

Cooper didn’t know why Ryan had skipped Olympic Trials all those years ago, and Ryan didn’t want him to. He was thrilled that his son was going to get to do some of the things that he had missed out on, and he was happy that Michael, his best friend and the love of his life was going to be such a big part of making that happen. Cooper’s preparation for Trials was just the beginning of all of the wonderful things that were going to happen for their family.


	7. Chapter 7

“You ready, kid?”, Michael asked at 5:00 in the morning on Cooper’s first day of practice with the Elite team.

Cooper nodded as he climbed into the front seat of Michael’s car, clutching his coffee. “I think so”, he said.

Michael smiled. “You’ll be great”, he said. “I’m going to start you off with an easy set this morning before school. The evening practice will be a little tougher.”

Cooper walked onto the pool deck and he could practically feel the stares. He felt self-conscious next to Luke who was much stronger and more filled out than him.

“That’s Mike’s son”, one of the older girls whispered to her friend.

“Another high school brat”, her friend groaned.

“No, no”, the first girl said. “He’s cool. He’s Luke’s best friend, and he’s like, ridiculously talented.

Morning practice went well. Cooper was happy with how he did. Michael drove Cooper and Luke to school and they stopped for bagels for breakfast on the way.

When they walked into the building, they saw a sign advertising the Homecoming Dance.

“Are you going to ask Kat?”, Luke asked, as he pointed to the sign.

Cooper blushed. “Yeah”, he said. “Well… I want to.”

“You should”, Luke said. “I’m going with Caroline. We can all go together.”

“Cool”, Cooper said, as he changed directions and walked towards the other hallway. “Hey, let’s walk this way”

“Why?”, Luke asked, as he followed Cooper.

Cooper had discovered that, in addition to being a figure skater, Kat was also a very talented dancer. The high school offered Dance classes as an elective, at Kat was taking the class. She often came to school early to practice in the studio attached to the gymnasium. Cooper peeked through the window on the door, and watched her practice her routine. She was concentrating so hard, and Cooper thought it made her even more attractive. She looked like she was lost in her own world.

“Ohhh”, Luke said knowingly. “That’s why you wanted to walk this way.”

Cooper nodded and blushed. “Yeah”, he said.

Luke rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Let’s go to homeroom, Lover Boy”, he said.

Cooper laughed loudly and followed his friend. They walked down the hall and into the classroom. Kat walked in a few minutes later, and sat on Cooper’s desk.

“Hey”, she said.

“Hey”, Cooper said.

“Hey”, Luke said. 

“I saw you two watching me”, Kat said, cutting right to the chase.

“I…I…Sorry”, Cooper stammered.

Kat laughed. “It’s cool”, she said. “You didn’t know I saw you, huh?”

Cooper blushed. “No”, he said.

“You’ve been watching me every day for a week”, Kat continued.

“Yeah…” Cooper said. “Sorry. It was interesting to watch.”

Kat smiled. “Thanks”, she said. “It’s fun. It helps with strength and flexibility, which I need for skating.”

Cooper nodded. “Makes sense”, he said. “So, um… Speaking of dancing…”

Kat looked at him expectantly. “Yeah?”, she asked.

“Do you want to go to the Homecoming Dance with me?”, Cooper asked.

Kat smiled. “Yeah”, she said. “Sounds like fun.”

Cooper smiled back. “Cool”, he said. “We can go with Luke and Caroline too… if that’s cool.”

“Sure”, Kat said.

“Great”, Cooper said.

 

*****

Luke, Cooper, and Kat walked to Biology together, and met up with Caroline. The four of them barely got any work done, because they were too busy talking about their plans for the dance.

“It’s going to be so much fun”, Caroline said. “The four of us together.”

“Let’s go dress shopping after school today”, Kat exclaimed, and the two girls squealed.  
****

“I can’t believe you asked her!”, Luke exclaimed on the way to the pool that afternoon.

“Who asked who what?”, Ryan asked as he looked over at Cooper, who was sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Then he looked in the rearview mirror at Luke in the backseat.

“Cooper asked Kat to the Homecoming Dance!”, Luke exclaimed gleefully.

“Who’s Kat?”, Ryan asked, as he raised an eyebrow at Cooper.

“A girl at school”, Cooper replied. “She’s nice. She’s really pretty.”

“She’s hot!”, Luke said.

Ryan dropped the boys off at the pool for their afternoon practice. Cooper did well with the sets that Michael gave him. He felt both accomplished and tired when he finished. He ended up feeling really sore, a lot more than he expected to. He went into the locker room to shower and change. When he stepped out of the shower, he could barely stand up.

Michael came into the locker room and saw Cooper standing there with his towel at his hips. “Are you okay, bud?”, he asked.

Cooper cringed, but he managed to smile and nod. “Great!”, he said. “Sore, but great!”

Michael sat down next to him and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been pushing yourself really hard”, he said. “You’re probably tired.”

Cooper nodded. “A little”, he said. “But I’m okay.”

Michael rubbed his back. “You’re having an ice bath when we get home”, he said.

Cooper nodded and pulled his sweatshirt over his head. “Yeah”, he said. “Good idea.”

Luke came out of the shower, and saw Michael and Cooper sitting on the bench. “Are you okay?”. he asked.  
Cooper nodded. “I’m good”, he said. “Just a little sore. Kind of dizzy too.”

“You pushed yourself really hard”, Luke said. 

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “But it’s weird. It’s like…a good kind of sore.”

In the car, Michael turned to Cooper. “How are you doing, buddy?”, he asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Okay, I guess”, he said. “I feel weird. Not sick exactly, just dizzy and weird.”

Michael nodded. “I think you pushed yourself a little too hard”, he said. “You might not be eating enough. We can work on that. We’ll talk to your doctor, and we can work with Allison on your nutrition.”

When Michael and Cooper got home, Ryan had the ice bath ready for Cooper, and dinner was in the oven. “Cooper”, he said. “You’re going to the doctor tomorrow.”

Cooper shook his head. “I have training”, he said.

“No”, Michael said. “You’re going to make yourself sick. You need to take the day of from training and school tomorrow. We’re taking you to the doctor to make sure that everything is okay. You jumped into an intense training program pretty quickly, and we just need to make sure that you’re doing everything you should be to stay healthy.”

 

****

The doctor’s appointment went well. He told them that Cooper needed more protein. He put him on protein powder and meal replacements in addition to the meal plan that Allison had laid out for him. Michael decided to have him work on drylands and strength training for a few days and take a break from the pool.

“But I want to swim!”, Cooper protested.

“You can’t”, Ryan told him. “You pushed yourself too hard, and now you need time to recover.”

“Okay”, Cooper grumbled.

“And no school tomorrow either”, Michael added. “You need a mental health day.”

Cooper pouted. “But I wanna go to school!”, he complained. “I missed school today. I don’t want to miss another day!”

“He wants to see the cute girl”, Ryan told Michael.

“Ah”, Michael said with a laugh. “Well, you’ll see her in a few days.”

Cooper spent the evening and the next day relaxing on the couch. Tessa had made cookies with Debbie a few days earlier, and kept delivering them to Cooper from the kitchen. He followed Allison’s meal plan, and had a protein shake a day.

That afternoon, Luke, Caroline, and Kat brought him the Biology homework.

“Hey, Buddy, how are you feeling?”, Luke asked.

Cooper nodded. “Better”, he said. “The doctor put me on protein powder and stuff, and I can’t swim for a few days.”

“I want to be on that diet!”, Kat said. “Lots of chocolate and no working out? Where do I sign up?”

Cooper laughed. “It’s not as good as it sounds”, he said. “I can’t stop eating, but I never feel full. I can’t keep weight on. I wish I could work out. I want to get back in the pool.”

“You will”, Luke said,

“Yeah”, Cooper said.

Kat smiled. “So, Cooper”, she said. “I got a really outrageous dress for the dance.”

“She did”, Caroline said. “She’s going to look amazing.”

“I can’t wait”, Cooper said with a smile,

Over the next few days, Cooper began to feel better. He had been following his doctor’s orders, eating better, and focusing on strength training. He put on some weight and kept it on. By the end of the next week, Michael had him back in the pool, but made him promise to take a break if he felt like it was too much.

Before long, it was time to the dance. Cooper and Luke met at the Lochte-Phelps household, and the girls met them there soon after.

Caroline was right. Kat’s dress was stunning. It was light blue, with just a little bit of glitter. It fell to her knees and showed off her long legs. Caroline was wearing a long purple dress. It was elegant and understated, just like her.

They arrived at the dance in the high school gymnasium and went straight for the refreshments table. After their snacks, Luke led Caroline into the crowd. Kat and Cooper went to sit on the bleachers.

“So how are you feeling?”, Kat asked. “You look good.”

“Better”, Cooper said. “Happy to be back in the water, at least part of the time.”

“Good”, Kat said.

Caroline came over to where they were sitting, and very excitedly reported that she and Luke had made out. The girls giggled excitedly, and Caroline went back to find Luke.

Cooper leaned over and gently kissed Kat on the cheek. She put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the lips. Cooper smiled. He placed a hand on her hip and deepened the kiss.

“I really like you, Cooper”, Kat said.

“I really like you too”, Cooper replied as he led her onto the dance floor for a slow song.

****

By the end of November, Cooper and Kat were a couple, officially. Luke and Caroline were a couple. Cooper was feeling good and getting though his sets without needing extended breaks. The whole family was feeling happy and healthy. The day before Thanksgiving, Tessa’s kindergarten class performed a Thanksgiving play. Tessa was playing the part of the Turkey.

That night, Ryan’s family arrived from Florida. Ike and Steve both made the trip, to the surprise of everyone, along with Kristin and Megan and their families, Devon, and Brandon.

Debbie, Hilary, Whitney, Connor, and Taylor joined everyone the next day to join the festivities. It was a big group, but everyone enjoyed their time together. Allison and her husband Chris came over for dessert. 

Debbie, overprotective, but loving grandmother that she was, wanted to make sure that Cooper was feeling okay and eating enough. She was thrilled to see how well he was doing, and that he had enjoyed her homemade pie. Michael was grateful that the focus was on someone else for once. He had spent many years being the subject of everyone’s worry.

Hilary and Whitney were dying to hear about Kat, and after dessert, offered a female perspective on the scary world of high school dating. That conversation was far less awkward than it had been when Ryan and Michael tried to give Cooper the sex talk.

After dinner and dessert, the relatives began to file out. With Thanksgiving over, the Christmas season was officially upon them. Michael and Ryan were planning on celebrating with the Phelps family a week early, then taking the kids to Florida to celebrate with the Lochtes. It was such a great time of year, and they were so thankful to all be together.


	8. Chapter 8

On the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving, The Chamber of Commerce in Towson held their annual downtown Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The two couples went, and had dinner together at the local pizza place where many of their classmates were hanging out. At dusk, they went outside to see the trees light up. The master of ceremonies for the evening was Allison’s husband Chris, a local chef, and the owner of the best catering company in Baltimore, Charm City Catering. He stood atop a tall platform and approached the podium.

“On behalf of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, welcome!”, he began. “It’s great to see such a big crowd here tonight. Many local businesses have given so much of their time to make this evening’s event a success, and it wouldn’t be what it is today without their support. It’s almost time to light those lights, so if you could all countdown with me…”

The crowd counted down from ten, and when they reached one, the lights on the trees came on. Suddenly, as if on cue, a light snow had begun to fall, it’s flakes reflecting against the white lights on the trees, making everything look wintery and magical.

Cooper leaned over to Kat and gave her a kiss. “Merry Christmas, Baby”, he whispered.

“It’s not Christmas yet, silly!”, she said with a giggle as she kissed him back. “But yeah, Merry Christmas.”

Afterwards, the four of them went out for dessert and hot chocolate. After that, they walked home. Luke’s parents were going to drive the girls home, but before that, they each received a good night kiss from their boyfriends.

Cooper walked into the house with a big smile on his face. Ryan had Michael had taken Tessa straight home after the lights came on, so she was in bed by the time Cooper came home. Michael and Ryan were cuddling and kissing on the couch. Cooper groaned when he saw them.

“Nice to see you too, Kiddo”, Michael said with a laugh.

“Do I need to give you two the sex talk?”, Cooper joked.

Michael laughed, as he pulled his shirt on. “Did you and Luke have fun with the girls?”, he asked.

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I want to take Kat to the Christmas Market in the city. Can one of you give us a ride there sometime this week?”

Ryan and Michael looked at each other. “Sure”, Ryan said,  
yet, right?”

Cooper made a face, then shook his head. “I’m not… ready”, he said.

The truth was, Cooper and Kat had only been together for a few months, plus they were so young. He liked her a lot, and did he want it to happen? Well, yeah. He was a teenage boy. He’d be lying if he said that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind a few hundred times a day. He and Kat just hadn’t had a conversation about it yet. He didn’t want to put any kind of pressure on her. Even though Luke and Caroline and already taken that step, it didn’t mean that it was for everyone. 

“Okay”, Ryan said. “Will you talk to us about it when you think you might be ready?”

Cooper nodded. “Sure”, he said.

****

The following Wednesday, Kat came to the pool to watch Cooper practice after she finished with her skating practice. When Cooper was done, he went to shower and change, then Michael drove them to the Christmas Market in Baltimore.

“See you kids at the entrance to Pierce’s Park at 9:30”, he said.

“Thanks, Mike”, Cooper said, as he closed the passenger door, and opened the backseat door to help Kat out.

“Thank you, Mr. Phelps”, Kat said.

Michael laughed. “Kat, please call me Mike”, he said. “Mr. Phelps makes me sound old!”

Kat laughed. “Okay”, she said.

Cooper took her hand and led her through the sea of stands. They went into the toy stand first, then made their way towards the jewelry stand. Kat picked out a necklace to give to her sister for Christmas. While she was paying, Cooper picked up a necklace that he had seen Kat eyeing. He bought it for her, and stuck the box in his pocket. The young couple continued to walk around, hand in hand. After buying them each a cup of hot cider, Cooper led her towards the park where Michael was going to pick them up.

Cooper pulled the box out of his pocket, as they sat down on the bench. “I got you something”, he said. 

“You did?”, Kat asked.

“It’s your Christmas present”, Cooper said.

Kat smiled. “Cooper, Christmas is three weeks away”, she said.

“Open it now!”, Cooper said. “I’m too excited to wait!”

Kat smiled and opened the box. She looked at the necklace and smiled.

“Merry Christmas, Katarina”, Cooper said softly.

“Merry Christmas”, Kat replied, as she leaned over and kissed him. “Put it on me?’

Cooper nodded and helped her clasp the necklace around her neck. The shimmer of the stone reflected against the above streetlight. “Beautiful”, Cooper said softly.

“I love it”, Kat said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome”, Cooper said.

Michael’s car pulled up by the entrance of the park and Cooper and Kat went to get in. Michael drove Kat home, and then he and Cooper went back to their house.

“Did you have fun tonight, Cooper?”, Michael asked.

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said.

“Did Kat like the market?”, Michael asked. “I used to take dates there a lot back in the day.”

Cooper smiled and looked out the window. “Yeah”, he said.

Michael rolled his eyes. This kid was really making him work for this conversation. “You really like this girl, huh?”, he asked.

Cooper grinned, that great big Lochte smile of his, and he really looked like Ryan. It made Michael’s heart twist, just thinking about how much he loved the life that he and Ryan had built together. “Yeah”, Cooper said again. “She’s amazing.”

 

The next big event before Christmas was the annual NBAC Christmas Gala. 

It was a great night. They drained the pool for the night and turned it into a sort of “sunken” dance floor. Allison’s husband Chris worked tirelessly to prepare the menu for the evening, and catered the whole thing. The food was delicious. Everyone enjoyed the music selected by Luke, Cooper, Caroline, and Kat. They had a great turnout for the event and all of the attendees seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Michael and Allison spent some time together and danced while Ryan helped Chris get some more serving platters out of his truck.

“How are you, Mike”, Allison asked as Michael pulled her close and they swayed to the music.

“Good!”, Michael said. “I’m good. Things are going really well.”

Allison nodded. “Good”, she said. “and Cooper seems to be doing better.”

“He’s doing great”, Michael said. “He was just in over his head. He pushed himself too hard and had to learn how to manage his training better.”

“Yeah”, Allison said. “and it seems like his nutrition is under control.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “It’s not like he wasn’t eating. He just needed to eat the right things to get the necessary energy.”

“Good”, Allison said. “I’m glad everyone is doing well. You and Ryan both look great too.”

“Thanks”, Michael said. “We’ve been eating really healthy and running more. We’re both seeing results, which is good.”

“Good for you guys”, Allison said.

“I got Cooper some MP suits to wear in Austin next month”, Michael said.

“Awesome”, Allison said.

“So, what’s new with you and Chris?”, Michael asked.

Allison grinned. “I’m pregnant!”, she whispered excitedly.

“Allie!”, Michael exclaimed, breaking out of their embrace to hold her at arm’s length. “Hon, that’s amazing!”

“Shhh”, Allison said with a giggle. “No one knows yet!”

“Not even Chris?”, Michael asked.

Allison rolled her eyes. “Chris knows, Dummy”, she said. “We just haven’t started telling people yet.”

“I’m so happy for you guys”, Michael said, pulling her in for a hug.

“Thanks!”, Allison said, returning the hug and rubbing his back.

Michael looked up and saw Ryan and Chris coming back inside. “Go be with your husband”, he told her.

Allison looked up and smiled. “You too”, she said.

Michael climbed out of the pool, and took Allison’s hand as he helped her out too. They walked over to their husbands. Chris took Allison’s hand and led her back over to, or rather, into the dance floor. He held her close, and they smiled and laughed together, looking very much in love. Michael smiled, as he watched them, thrilled that his best friend had found someone who made her so happy.

Ryan looked at him and smiled. “It’s nice to see her so happy, huh?”, he asked.

Michael nodded. “It is”, he said. “She deserves it.”

Michael and Ryan walked towards the drink table. Ryan picked up a bottle of champagne and smiled at Michael, his eyes twinkling. “Do you want to take this and go be happy in your office?”, he asked.

Michael grinned and nodded. “Let’s go”, he said, and he and Ryan walked down the hall. He unlocked his office, and locked it behind them when they got inside.

Ryan opened the bottle of champagne and took a swig. “I can’t wait to get that tux off of you”, he said.

Michael grinned and took the bottle from Ryan. He took a few swigs and giggled when the fizz tickled his nose. “We haven’t fucked while drunk in ages!”, he exclaimed.

Ryan pressed Michael against the closet door, and undid Michael’s belt. He unfastened Michael’s pants, and pulled them down a little bit to expose his hip bones. He held Michael’s hips in the palms of his hands, and gently ran his thumbs along Michael’s sides. Michael threw his head back and groaned, and he began to undress Ryan.

Their clothes were in a pile on the floor of Michael’s office. Ryan dragged his teeth along Michael’s collarbones, and swirled his tongue inside the deep indents of his shoulder blades. He kissed his way down Michael’s long, lean torso. “Hot bod, old man”, he said.

Michael rolled his eyes. “I let myself go too much”, he complained.

Ryan laughed. “You’re an idiot”, he said. “You have the body of a twenty year old.”

Michael laughed as he ran his hands up and down Ryan’s back, feeling for the Gator tattoo on his shoulder. “Yeah right”, he said. “You’re the one who looks like an Abercrombie and Fitch model.”

Ryan started howling with laughter. “Oh Baby”, he said. “Are you trying to flatter me?”

Michael still had a hand on Ryan’s back. With his other hand, he grabbed Ryan’s face and kissed him roughly. “Fuck yes”, he said.

Ryan sank to his knees and mouthed at the raised edges of the tattoos on Michael’s hips. He sucked gently, his motions gradually getting harder and leaving dark red marks on Michael’s alabaster skin. He worked his way further down Michael’s body, and finally, took Michael’s rock hard dick into his mouth. As was his usual technique, he started slowly, then began sucking harder and faster. Michael felt like he was going to black out. His stomach clenched. He let out a groan, and threw his head back onto the closet door with a loud bang.

Ryan stopped what he was doing and burst out laughing. Michael laughed softly and sank to his knees, pressing his sweaty body into Ryan’s. They were both on the floor, moving their hands all over each other and wildly making out. As Michael kissed Ryan all over his body, Ryan took Michael’s dick into his hand, applying pressure as he massaged it. Michael came in Ryan’s hand, and all over everything.

Ryan grabbed a towel from the chair by Michael’s desk, and tried to clean up. “Damn, I’m good!”, he said. “Fuck me, baby.”

 

“Couch!, Michael demanded, pointing across the room. “Right now.”

Ryan stood up and went over to the couch, as Michael had instructed him to do. Michael climbed on top of him, inserted a finger inside the hole he wanted to occupy, then two fingers. He started gently, then quickened the pace of his movements. Ryan moaned appreciatively, and then Michael entered him. He thrusted hard and quickly, letting Ryan’s moans and gasps guide him. That time was Ryan’s turn to come all over everything. Out of breath, Michael rolled off of Ryan and onto the floor with a thud. Ryan started laughing so hard, he fell off the couch, right onto Michael. They both began to laugh, and kissed again. They were laughing so hard that their teeth clashed together, making them laugh even harder.

“Well…”, Michael said when he regained his composure. “That was… amazing.”

“Mmm-hmm”, Ryan agreed.

They stood up and used the towel to clean themselves off, and began to get dressed. They rushed to get ready and went back out into the hallway to make their way back to the festivities. 

“Shit”, Michael said, as he ran down the hall, and tried to fasten his belt at the same time. “I was supposed to make a speech tonight!”

Ryan followed closely behind, as they ran down the hall to where Bob was standing at the podium. “And now…”, he said. “It is a pleasure to introduce CEO Michael Phelps!”

Michael gasped. “I didn’t miss it!”, he exclaimed.

“Go!”, Ryan urged him

Michael approached the podium, to the sounds of the cheers. He and Bob shook hands and hugged. Then Michael took the microphone.

“Good Evening”, he said. “Thank you all for coming. There are many people who made this night possible. First, I’d like to thank Chris Sarver of Charm City Catering, for the delicious dinner we had tonight. His wife, Allison Sarver, whom you all know as Allison Schmitt or Schmitty. She is the instructor of the seven to nine age group swimmers, team nutritionist, and therapist. She’s my best friend, my right hand woman, and someone who makes everything possible. Director of Operations, Bob Bowman, who coached me for most of my life and put up with me for many years. I’d like to thank two of our Elite Team members, my son Cooper Lochte, his best friend Luke Peterson, and their girlfriends Kat Long and Caroline Abbott for coordinating the music this evening. I’d also like to thank my husband Ryan, and my daughter Tessa Ileana. Finally, I want to thank the most important person in my life, the strongest person I know… my mama, Debbie Phelps. I love you, Mom.”

The crowd clapped, and Michael continued. “I hear there’s a great dessert selection, so I hope you’ll all enjoy that. Have fun, everyone. Merry Christmas.”

Outside, Cooper and Kat were sitting on the bench watching the light snow that had begun to fall. Cooper’s jacket was draped over Kat’s shoulders.

“Where are Luke and Caroline?”, Cooper asked.

Kat shrugged. “They probably went somewhere to have sex”, she said.

“Oh”, Cooper said.

“Yeah”, Kat said. “Coop?”

“Yeah?”, Cooper asked, a little more expectantly than he had intended.

“I’m not ready”, Kat said quietly.

“Okay”, Cooper said.

“Okay?”, Kat repeated.

“Okay”, Cooper said again. “We’ll wait.”


	9. Chapter 9

One night a week or so before Christmas, Cooper was out with his friends, and Ryan had taken Tessa out for ice cream. Michael took Debbie to the Christmas Market to look around.

Debbie put her arm around Michael. “Love you, sweetie”, she said.

“Love you too, Mama”, he replied. 

They walked by a stand where someone was writing on little pieces of rice and putting them into little bottle charms for jewelry. Michael could never figure out how anyone could write with small handwriting, let alone write small enough to write on a piece of rice. Michael smiled as they walked past. “Hey, remember that Christmas when you took me here and I bought these rice necklaces for Hilary and Whitney?”

Debbie nodded. “I do”, she said. “You were always such a sweet little boy… always doing nice things for your big sisters. That’s something that your kids have learned from you and Ryan.”

“They’re great”, Michael agreed. “Even though my husband is basically a third kid.”

Debbie laughed. “They changed your life”, she said. 

“They saved my life”, Michael corrected. “I was still pretty messed up when I met Ryan.”

Debbie nodded. “I know, sweetie”, she said. “It’s been hard, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah”, Michael said, linking his arm with his mother’s. “but it’s gotten a lot easier.”

“How’s Cooper doing?”, Debbie asked. “Is his training going well?”

Michael smiled. “Yeah”, he said. “He’s been doing really well. I got him some MP suits to wear in Austin next month.”

“That’s great”, Debbie said. “How’s his girlfriend? What’s her name again?”

“Katarina, but they call her Kat”, Michael said. “She’s great. Really nice girl. She has Figure Skating Nationals right before Austin. Cooper and I are going to go. Do you want to join us?”

“That would be wonderful, Michael”, Debbie said. “I’d like that very much.”

Michael and Debbie continued to make their way though the crowd, stopping for a snack on the way out. Michael drove Debbie home, and when he pulled into her driveway, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, my boy”, she said. “Thank you for a wonderful night.”

“You’re welcome, Mama”, he said, squeezing her shoulder. “I love you.”

Michael watched her walk up to the front door, and waited until she was safely inside before he backed out of the driveway and drove away.

The next day, he, Ryan, Cooper, and Tessa went to Debbie’s house to celebrate Christmas with the Phelps family. Hilary, Doug, Whitney, her boyfriend and Connor, and Taylor all came over. Bob, Allison, and Chris all made appearances too.

They ate dinner together and ate the pie that Chris and Allison had brought over, then they opened their gifts. 

Debbie gave Ryan and Michael a subscription to a meal delivery service. She thought it would be helpful for their busy schedules. Plus a lot of the meals were really healthy and perfect for a family full of athletes. She gave Tessa a subscription to Highlights magazine, telling her how much Michael, Hilary, and Whitney had enjoyed it when she was their age. She had wrapped a copy of the most recent issue, and explained to Tessa that she would get a different one every month.

“Do they still have the Goofus and Gallant comic?”, Ryan asked. “I’m Gallant!”

Michael laughed. “Nope” he said. “You’re a Goofus.”

“You’re a Goofus!”, Ryan protested, and everyone laughed.

After gifts, everyone had some more dessert, until they all thought they were going to burst. Everyone began to get ready to go home. Michael, Ryan, Tessa, and Cooper were all leaving for their trip to Florida the next day after school.

After school the next day, Cooper and Kat kissed in the parking lot. “Merry Christmas”, he said.

“Merry Christmas”, Kat said. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

Cooper nodded. “Yup”, he said. “I’ll be home for New Year’s. We’ll do something fun.”

“Cool”, Kat said. “Have fun in Florida.”

 

****

They arrived in Florida later that evening. Ike had prepared a big dinner to welcome them. They all stayed up late eating, talking, and laughing.

The next day, Cooper and Ryan helped get ready for the big family bonfire, while Michael took Tessa to the beach.

They spent the next few days eating and having fun. Michael and Cooper went swimming a lot, so Cooper could get ready for practice starting up again after the holidays.

****

Luke’s parents were out for New Year’s, so he and Cooper got some friends and the girlfriends together for a party. Someone’s older sibling had bought them some alcohol, so they ended up spending the evening playing drinking games. Soon, everyone left. Luke and Caroline went upstairs to Luke’s bedroom, and left Kat and Cooper making out on the couch. It was getting to the point where Cooper thought they should stop before it went any further. Even after drinking a bit too much, Cooper was aware enough to know that it was going too far.

“We should stop”, he said softly.

Kat nodded. “Yeah”, she said, as she pulled her shirt back on.

Caroline and Luke came back downstairs, and the two boys walked the girls home. When they got back to their street, Cooper snuck into the house and managed not to wake anybody up. He breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed onto his bed and went to sleep. He managed to keep their evening activities a secret from Michael and Ryan.

School and practice started up again a few days later. Michael was confident that Cooper was ready for the Pro Swim Series in Austin in a few weeks. Cooper had entered into four events: The 100 and 200 Meter backstroke, the 400 IM, and the 800 Free. Luke was going to be in the 100 and 200 Breast, the 200 IM, and the 100 Fly. Michael was pleased and proud of how well his swimmers were doing. Cooper was also doing well in school.

Kat had a lot of work to do to prepare for Figure Skating Nationals, so there was a week or two where they didn’t see too much of her. She left for the competition in Boston on a Sunday night. Cooper, Michael, and Debbie flew up a few days later. Before the competition one night, Kat invited all of them to see her in the back room where everyone was getting ready. She introduced them to her family and to her longtime pairs partner, Brian. When the competition was about to begin, everyone went to find their seats.

“…From Baltimore, skating in her long program is Katarina Long. She missed out on the Olympics in Beijing last year, but she has made great strides in her training in the months since she and her coach relocated to Baltimore. We’re sure to see great things from this young lady over the next few years and at the Olympics in 2026!”, one announcer said.

“And speaking of great things, there’s her boyfriend up in the stands. Cooper Lochte is a real up and comer in the swimming world, training under his stepfather, Olympian Michael Phelps!”, the other announcer said. “Michael is in the stands with his mother Debbie!”

Kat’s program went very well. She would tell her family and Cooper’s family later everything that she wished she had done differently, but that she was pretty happy overall.

“Cooper, your girlfriend is lovely”, Debbie told him

Cooper smiled. “Yeah, she’s pretty great”, he said, as the next skater began her program.

“I just love watching skating”, Debbie said. “The outfits are so lovely.”

Later in the evening, it was time for the pairs program. Kat and Brian’s routine was easily the highlight of the night. They began with an uptempo song and danced and jumped all over the ice. As the song slowed down, their routine did as well. They glided across the ice together, and for the grand finale, Brian lifted her in the air with practiced ease. The song ended, the lights went down, and Brian carefully set her back down onto the ice. The crowd went wild.

Cooper presented Kat with a bouquet of flowers when she came into the crowd to see all of them. They kissed as cameras flashed all around them. Even though they were surrounded by the press, that moment was just for them.


	10. Chapter 10

The whole family traveled to Austin to see Cooper compete. He ended up scratching the 400 IM, and didn’t even make the B Final in the 100 back.

The meet got better for him though. He got some rest, and on the second night of the competition, he came in third in the A final of the 200 back. He looked great in his bright blue MP suit, and it was the final day of the meet that blew everyone away. He celebrated his fifteenth birthday with a win in the 800 free, just three-quarters of a second off of the world record.

Trials were still five months away, but his performance that weekend, and the fact that he seemed to do better the longer the race was, gave him a good idea of what he needed to work on.

Wearing a headset, he went to go talk to Rowdy after his win. “So how do you feel?”, Rowdy asked him. “You got pretty close to that record!”

Cooper laughed. “So close!”, he said. “Yeah, I feel good. The week started off a little rough, but gradually got better. Now I know what I need to work on going into the rest of the year!”

***

After the Austin weekend, Cooper caught up on some of the work that he got behind on when he went to Boston with Kat and then to Austin. He had missed a lot of school work, and needed to get on top of it if he wanted to improve his grades.

He celebrated his birthday with his friends. He had too much to drink, and threw up in the bushes before sneaking into the house an hour after curfew. He thought he heard someone awake, but he made it into his room without anyone seeing him.

Practice was tough the next day. He was nauseous and hungover and tired. If Michael and Ryan knew what was up, they didn't let on. By the time he got out of the pool, he felt like he was going to collapse. After their showers, Michael drove Luke and Cooper to school.

“Stay awake!”, Michael said to Cooper when he noticed that he was practically falling asleep on his feet.

Cooper rolled his eyes. “I’ll try”, he said.

Michael laughed. “Have a good day at school, boys”, he said.

Cooper groaned and trudged after Luke. “I’m so hungover”, he groaned as they got to the door of the school. “I’m skipping school and going home.”

He turned around and walked all the way home. This went on for a few weeks. Cooper was partying all the time and his grades had started to slip. He wasn’t swimming as well as he normally did. Michael and Ryan thought he was just tired.

One night while Ryan and Michael were with Tessa at an event at the elementary school, Kat came over with some vodka that she had stolen from her parents. They drank it and made out.

While they were kissing, Kat began to undress. “Cooper”, she said. “I’m ready now.”

They had sex for the first time that night on the floor of the living room.

“I love you”, Kat said.

“I love you too”, Cooper said.

They got dressed, and drank some more. Before they had time to clean up and hide the bottle, the door opened and Ryan, Tessa, and Michael walked in and saw everything.

“Tessa, go upstairs”, Ryan said.

Tessa nodded and went up to her room.

“Cooper what the hell is this?”, Ryan asked.

“I… I…” Cooper stammered.

“You better answer me, young man!”, Ryan demanded.

“I’m sorry”, Cooper said helplessly.

“Mike, can you drive Kat home?”, Ryan asked. “Cooper, go to your room.”

Michael nodded. “Sure”, he said. “Are you ready to go, Kat?”

Kat nodded. “Yes, Mr. Phelps”, she said nervously.

Without looking up, Cooper mumbled, “Bye Kat.”

“Bye”, Kat said quietly.

“Cooper. Upstairs. Now.”, Ryan said.

Cooper grumbled and stomped up the stairs. Ryan watched him go, and flinched when he heard the door slam. Michael took Kat home and Ryan paced around the living room.

When Michael came home, Ryan was still in the living room, cleaning up the liquor bottles, and he found the condom wrapper.

“Her parents weren't home”, Michael said. “I wanted to talk to them and let them know what happened, but it’s not our place to tell them how to raise their daughter.”

Ryan nodded. “What are we going to do about Cooper?”, he asked. “He’s never done anything like this before, that we know of anyway.”

“I know”, Michael said. “Let’s go talk to him.”

They went upstairs and knocked on Cooper’s bedroom door. “Come in”, Cooper said sadly.

 

Michael and Ryan went into the room and found Cooper lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. 

“Hey”, Ryan said.

“Hey”, Cooper said.

“So, tonight”, Michael began.

“I know it was stupid”, Cooper said. “I’m sorry.”

“It was very stupid”, Ryan said. “But, you’ve always been a good kid. For the next month, you’re grounded. You will go to school and to practice and nowhere else. For the next month, there will be no TV, no video games, and no hanging out with your friends. If you can prove to us that tonight was just a one time thing, we’ll forget that it ever happened, okay?”

“Okay”, Cooper said. “I’m sorry.”

“Get some sleep, kid”, Michael said gently.

“I had sex”, Cooper said. “I know I was supposed to talk to you guys about it first.”

Ryan laughed. “We already know”, he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

The next day at school, Kat met Cooper at his locker. “So, how much trouble did you get in?”, she asked.  
“Grounded for a month”, Cooper said. “You?”

“My parents weren’t home when I got back”, she said. “So I’m good for now.”

 

***

Over the next month, Cooper did so much swimming and studying that he drastically improved his grades and he was in great physical shape. He was much stronger and more filled out than he had been at the beginning of the school year, and his times were improving. When his month of being grounded was up, he was happy to be able to hang out with his friends again. He promised Michael and Ryan that he wouldn’t drink again, at least not until he was old enough.

He worked hard, did well at the Pro Swim Series meets, and finished the school year with straight A’s. He began summer vacation focused on preparing for Olympic Trials. Kat wasn’t going to be able to come to trials, but she and her family were hoping to come to Budapest if Cooper made the team. Caroline and her family couldn’t make it to Budapest, but they were planning on making the trip to Omaha to watch the boys swim. Michael was trying to convince Debbie to join all of them, but she kept insisting that she was too old to travel. Michael kept hoping that she would change her mind.


	11. Chapter 11

Trials were a week away. Cooper and Luke both felt prepared. One afternoon, Cooper and Luke went to the mall with the girls. Tessa was at day camp, and Ryan was at work. Michael took that opportunity to spend the day with Debbie. He took her out for lunch, and then for a walk around the harbor.

Afterwards, Michael took her home and the two of them sat on the porch eating slices of pie that Debbie’s neighbor had brought over the day before.

“I’m glad we’ve been spending so much time together, Michael”, Debbie said as she reached over and rubbed his arm.

Michael touched her hand. “Me too”, he said.

“Are the kids ready for trials?”, she asked.

Michael nodded. “I think so”, he said. “It’s an exciting time.”

“It sure brings back a lot of memories”, Debbie said. 

“For me too”, Michael said. “I wish you were coming with us.”

“I’m too old, dear”, Debbie said.

Michael laughed. “You’re not old, Mama”, he said. “And you’re in good health, unless there’s something that you’re not telling me.”

Debbie laughed. “I’m very healthy, sweetheart”, she said. “I just don’t think traveling at my age is a good idea.”

“Ma, you’re in your seventies”, Michael said. “You’re far from ancient.”

Debbie laughed. “I’ll think about it”, she said.

“Good”, Michael said. “It’s going to be a great week. I remember being their age, and how scary and exciting it all was.”

“Are you nervous about the trip?”, Debbie asked.

Michael nodded. “A little”, he said. “I’ve been working on breathing exercises in therapy. It helps.”

“I didn’t know you started going to therapy again”, Debbie said, alarmed. “Is everything okay?”

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I’m great, actually. Going to therapy is just preventative. Life has been so busy lately, and it helps to talk to my therapist before things get too overwhelming. Hil gave me some great tea that’s supposed to be great for anxiety. It tastes gross, but it prefer it over taking medication.”

“That’s good, honey”, Debbie said. “You look so good.”

Michael smiled. “Thanks”, he said. “The meal service has been amazing, and Ryan and I have been running a lot. I went for a long swim yesterday. I feel great.”

“That’s wonderful, honey”, Debbie said. “I love seeing you so happy and healthy.”

“I’m doing better than ever, Mom”, Michael said. “Things are great.”

“I’m glad”, Debbie said. “I know I say this all the time, but it makes me so happy to see you so happy.”

Michael smiled as he stood up. “Thanks, Mom”, he said. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to head home. I want to get a workout in before everyone gets home.”

“Okay”, Debbie said, standing up to give her youngest child a hug.

Michael leaned down to hug her. “Love you, Debs”, he said, as he kissed her on the cheek.

Debbie patted his cheek. “Love you, honey”, she replied.

***

Michael went home and changed his clothes. Then he went for a short run around the neighborhood. When he got home, he went into the basement to do a circuit of free weights, then finished everything off with some crunches. When he was done, he felt great, and it gave him the energy he knew that he would need to work on some more preparations for trials after dinner.

He went upstairs to take a shower, and he heard his phone ringing from its spot on the kitchen counter. He went to pick it up, and saw his sister’s number flashing on the screen.

“Hi Hil”, Michael said as he answered the phone and tried to catch his breath.

“Mike?”, Hilary said. “What’s wrong? You sound out of breath.”

Michael’s breath began to slow down back to normal. He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder. His hands were on his hips. “I’m fine”, he assured her. “Just finished a great workout. What’s up?”

“Bean”, she said gently, referring to the nickname that she and Whitney called him when they were kids. Michael was tall and skinny as a kid - a beanpole. That got shortened to “Bean”, and the nickname stuck. “I need you to sit down, okay?”

Michael felt sick all of a sudden. He slumped down in a chair at the kitchen table. “What is it, Hil?”, he asked.

“It’s nothing bad”, Hilary said. “It’s just big.”

“Okay”, Michael said. “His chest was still pounding. It reminded him of the panic attacks he had all those years ago, after Eric’s death, but before he started therapy. He took a deep breath, counted to ten, and waited for Hilary to tell him why she had called.

“Doug and I have been talking”, Hilary said. “We regret not having kids, so we were thinking of adopting, or maybe looking into fostering. Is that crazy, though?”

“No”, Michael said. “I think it’s great. You and Doug will be wonderful parents.”

“You’d tell me if you thought I was nuts, right?”, Hilary asked.

“You know I would”, Michael said. “And you’re not nuts. You’re my big sister and I think you’re amazing.”

“I love you, baby bro”, Hilary replied.

“Love you too, Hillbilly”, Michael said with a laugh, as he brought back a nickname that he always called her. “but don’t ever scare me like that again when you call.”

Hilary laughed. “Sorry, Mike”, she said. “So you think this is a good idea?”

“I do”, Michael said. “So what do you have to do?”

“It’s a big long application process”, Hilary said. “But I think it will be worth it.”

“It’s worth it”, Michael said. “Parenting is… amazing. Cooper and Tessa are fantastic.”

“They’re great”, Hilary agreed. “Is Cooper ready for trials?”

“I think so”, Michael said. “It’s going to be a fun week. Scary, though.”

“You remember what it was like”, Hilary said. “Cooper will be great.”

“He will”, Michael said. “He’s been working so hard. Life has been busy lately, but I think it will be good. It’ll be fun to go away as a family too.”

Hilary made a noise of agreement. “Therapy’s good?”, she asked.

“It’s great”, Michael said. “I was telling Mom about it earlier today, and that it’s good to do it now, rather than when things get too overwhelming.”

“I agree”, Hilary said. “You’ve come a long way, MP.”

“I have”, Michael said. “I feel good.”

“Do you like the tea?”, Hilary asked. Michael was sure he heard her snicker, so he knew that she knew.

“It’s okay”, Michael said.

“It’s valerian root”, Hilary said, knowingly. “It’s great for anxiety.”

“Well…”, Michael began. “It’s a lot better than taking medication, and it really does relax me, but it…”

“Tastes gross?”, Hilary finished for him.

“Hil, it tastes like someone dipped a stick of licorice in kerosene and then peed on it”, Michael said.

Hilary burst out laughing. “Well, I wasn’t going to put it quite like that”, she said. “The ladies who work in the natural food store next to the yoga studio swear by it.”

“Hippies”, Michael replied.

“Jerk”, Hilary shot back.

“Meanie-face”, Michael replied with a laugh.

“Meanie-face?”, Hilary repeated. “That’s the best you can come up with?”

“I spend my mornings with a seven year old”, Michael replied.

Hilary laughed. “Good point”, she said. “Okay, I’m going to let you go. If you just finished a tough workout, you probably stink. Go shower.”

“Fuck you. I smell like a rose”, Michael replied.

“Love you too”, Hilary snorted a laugh.

“Bye Hil”, Michael said. “I love you.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I finally posted!

Ryan and Michael were lying in bed a few nights before they were going to leave for trials. Michael was lying on his back. Ryan was on his side, pressed up against Michael, with the palm of his hand resting on the flat pane of Michael’s hard stomach. He gently rubbed his thumb back and forth on Michael’s soft skin. Michael placed his hand on top of Ryan’s and dropped his head on Ryan’s strong shoulder. 

“I love you”, Michael said softly.

Ryan kissed along Michael’s neck, and licked along the curve of Michael’s neck and shoulder. “I love you so much”, he replied.

Michael shifted so he was propped up on his side and facing Ryan. Ryan cupped his hand on Michael’s hip and slipped his thumb under the waistband of Michael's shorts. He brushed the pad of his thumb tip over Michael’s hip bone and down to the raised edge of the Michigan ‘M’. 

“Perfect”, Ryan whispered.

“Mmmm?”, Michael asked.

“Your body”, Ryan replied. “It’s perfect.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “You say that all the time”, he said. “I’m a fat old man.”

“You are not!”, Ryan exclaimed. “You’re lean and strong, and I want to lick you, like all the time.”

Michael laughed and kissed Ryan. “You’re the best”, he said, squeezing Ryan’s side. “and you’re perfect.”

Ryan smiled into the darkness and tightened his grip on Michael’s hip. “Do you think Cooper is ready?”, he asked. “For trials, I mean?”

Michael smiled. “I do”, he said. “He’s going to be great.”

Ryan nodded. “Good”, he said. “And Luke?”

Michael smiled again. “He’s awesome”, he said. “He’s so fast and he’s in incredible shape.”

“Great”, Ryan said. “Is your family going to be there?”

Michael shook his head and mouthed at Ryan’s shoulder. “No”, he said. “Whit is going to Con’s college orientation in Georgia and Hil is super busy getting ready for the social worker to visit to make sure that she and Doug are ready to get the paperwork for their fostering license ready”

“What about your Mom?”, Ryan asked.

Michael sighed. “She thinks she’s too old to travel”, he said.

Ryan laughed. “Debs isn’t too old for anything!”, he said.

“That’s what I told her”, Michael replied, as his phone buzzed on the bedside table. 

“Well, at least Allison will be there”, Ryan said. “She’s family.”

“I doubt it. The baby is due any day now, and even if he or she doesn’t come by then, there’s no way Al will be able to travel”, Michael said.

“Oh right”, Ryan said, as the phone continued to buzz. 

“I’m going to grab this”, Michael said as he picked up the phone and saw Allison’s husband’s phone number flash across the screen. “Hey, Chris”  
“Hi Mike”, Chris said. “I just wanted to let you know that the baby is here.”

“Oh my god!”, Michael said. “I didn’t even realize you were already at the hospital. I’m on my way!”

“You can wait until tomorrow to come by if you want”, Chris said.

“No, that’s okay”, Michael said. “I’ll be there soon.”   
Michael set his phone back down on the nightstand and stood up. He picked up his jeans from the chair in the corner and pulled them on. Ryan was watching him.

“Babe”, Ryan whined. “This is the opposite of a striptease. “I don't want to watch you put clothes on, even though those jeans look _really_ good on you.”

Michael laughed as he pulled a t-shirt over his head. “I’m going to go see Allie”, he said. “That was Chris on the phone. The baby is here.”

“I’ll come with you”, Ryan said as he started to get up.

“No”, Michael said, as he flopped back down on the bed and planted a kiss on Ryan’s mouth. “You stay here and sleep. When I get back, then you can watch me strip.”   
Ryan laughed and yawned. “Sounds good, Baby”, he said. “Give Allie a hug.”

Michael smiled. “Will do”, he said. He went outside and got into his car to drive to the hospital. When he arrived, Chris was waiting for him in the waiting room. Michael quickened his pace and approached Chris, who was smiling. The two men greeted each other with a hug.

“I’m a dad!”, Chris exclaimed. “It’s a boy!”

“Congratulations!”, Michael said. “Does he have a name yet?”

“Derek Michael”, Chris replied with a smile.

Michael felt a lump in his throat. “I like it”, he said softly.

Chris smiled. “Do you want to meet your godson?”, he asked.

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said, as he followed Chris down the hall.

Chris stepped into the room. “Allison”, he said softly. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Allison looked up and smiled. “Mike!”, she said. “Come here.”

“Hey Schmitty”, Michael said as he approached the bed. 

Allison was sitting up in bed, wearing a hospital gown and looking just as beautiful as ever. She was holding a tiny pink-cheeked bundle wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey buddy”, Allison whispered to the little boy sleeping sweetly in her arms. Then she looked up at Michael, her eyes glistening with a hint of fresh tears. “This is your uncle Mikey. He’s really special to me, and I know you’re going to love him too.”

Derek opened his eyes and looked around He balled up his little fist and scrunched up his face before closing his eyes again.

“Not impressed, huh?”, Michael asked with a laugh.

Allison laughed. “Get over here”, she said.

Michael walked closer to the bed and crouched down to see them better. “He’s perfect, Al”, he said. “And so are you.”

“Aww, Mike”, Allison said. “You’re the best. I love you, buddy.”

Michael brushed a strand of hair out of her eye. “I love you too, Al”, he said. “and I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks”, Allison said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. “Do you want to hold him?”

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said, as he carefully took the baby out of her arms. “Hi Derek!”, he said.

Allison smiled. “I’m glad you’re here, Mike”, she said.

“Me too”, Michael said. “I would’t have missed it for the world.”

“I’m sorry I’m going to miss trials”, Allison said.

“It’s okay”, Michael said. “Whit and Hil can’t come either. It’s a busy time for both of them.”

Allison nodded. “What about your mom?”, she asked.

Michael shook his head. “She thinks she’s too old to travel”, he said. 

Allison laughed. “I think she’ll change her mind”, she said. “There’s no way Debs would miss this.”

“I hope so”, Michael said, suddenly feeling emotional for reasons he couldn't articulate. “I can’t imagine her not being there.”

***

As it turned out, Debbie did change her mind. She decided to come along after all. Hotels had been sold out for months, so she was going to stay with Michael and Ryan in their suite. It was going to be a great week.


	13. Chapter 13

Cooper and Luke were both having a great week at Olympic Trials. On the final night of competition, Cooper made it to finals for the 800 meter freestyle. He walked to the blocks with his competitors. Michael was sitting on the sidelines with the other coaches. Ryan was in the stands with Debbie, Tessa, Luke’s family, and Caroline and her family.

“He looks so strong!”, Debbie said, as she watched Cooper.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “He really filled out a lot.”

“You and Michael must be so proud of him”, Debbie said. “So accomplished at such a young age.”

Ryan smiled. “Yeah”, he said. “He’s such a talented athlete and he works so hard in school. He gets straight A’s on top of training twice a day, and competing. I don’t know how he does it and stays sane.”

“It’s very hard”, Debbie agreed. “Michael struggled a lot when he was Cooper’s age, and even when he was older, but he came out of it much stronger. You and Michael are very supportive of Cooper, so that certainly helps.”

“Michael gets that from you, Debbie”, Ryan said.

Debbie smiled and took Ryan’s hand. “Thank you, Ryan”, she said. “That’s a very sweet thing to say.”

“It’s true”, Ryan said. “You gave Michael so much, and he loves you dearly. He learned how to be a good parent because he has such a wonderful mom.”

Debbie wiped away a tear. “Ryan, you’re going to make me cry, dear”, she said.

Ryan put his arm around her. “Love you, Debs”, he said with a smile.

Debbie kissed his cheek. “Love you, Ryan”, she replied. “Keep an eye on Cooper though. Sometimes you’re children don’t show it when they’re struggling. If I had seen the signs of Michael’s depression when he was Cooper’s age, there is so much that could have been prevented.”

Ryan nodded. “Do you think Cooper’s depressed?”, he asked.

“I have no reason to think that”, Debbie said. “He’s a happy, talented, successful young man. Just keep an eye on him. Make him feel loved and keep him safe.”

Ryan nodded. “Good point, and we will”, he said. “Thanks, Debbie.”

“Of course”, Debbie said, patting Ryan’s hand.

They turned to watch as Cooper moved through the water. His opponent in the next lane was gaining on him. It was almost as if Cooper could sense it. He was good at that. He kept his head in the race, and concentrated on himself, but he still had a way of knowing what was going on around him. He made a push for the wall and executed his turn perfectly. 

Michael watched as Cooper made his turn for the final 50. His heart was beating fast. “Come on, Cooper”, he muttered to himself.

One of the other coaches turned to Michael. “Hey”, he said. “Your kid looks good out there!”

Michael grinned. “He’s pretty great”, he said.

Cooper finished first, but just barely. He climbed out of the pool and put his hands on his narrow hips as he tried to catch his breath. Luke had been watching his friend from the sidelines and ran to greet him. They hugged as the crowd cheered for the newest member of the Olympic Team.

Michael made his way over to Cooper and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you, Cooper”, he said.

Cooper hugged him back. “This is the greatest night of my life!”, he exclaimed.

“It’s going to keep getting better”, Michael replied. “This is just the beginning of big things to come.”

Luke had done well in his races, and both boys were excited about going to Budapest later that summer.

Cooper and Luke and their families all went out for a celebratory dinner. While they were at the table, they both got a lot of text messages and social media notifications offering words of congratulations from their friends back home. 

Cooper looked at his phone. He had a text message from Kat.

**Kat [8:30 PM]:** Great job today! So proud!

Cooper looked down at his phone and smiled. He typed out a reply. **Cooper [8:32 PM]:** Thanks babe! Miss u!

Luke was scrolling through Twitter on his phone. Then he laughed. “Uh, guys”, he began. “What the hell is ‘Looper’?”

Luke’s older sister laughed. She nudged her brother on the shoulder. “That’s you two’s Celebrity Couple name”, she replied. “The fan girls always talk about you two hugging at meets.”

Cooper laughed and looked at Luke. “I mean, I love you, Man”, he said. “But I’m taken.”

“Right back at you!”, Luke replied with a laugh, raising his water glass in a mock salute.

The families enjoyed their dinner together. Even those who were watching what they ate decided to splurge that night. Michael picked at the radishes on his salad and pouted. “When’s the meal getting here?”, he whined to Ryan. “I want my real food.”

“You didn’t have to order a salad”, Ryan pointed out. “You’re a big boy. If you don’t want to eat your veggies, don’t”

“I know, but if I’m splurging on dinner, the salad cancels that out.”

“A salad is a waste of calories”, Ryan complained.

“You two sound like a bunch of children”, Debbie replied. “And Michael Fred, you are a toothpick. It’s not going to hurt you to treat yourself.”

Michael blushed. “Thanks, mom”, he said.

“That’s what I keep telling him”, Ryan said. “He looks good.”

“He certainly does”, Debbie said. 

“I try”, Michael said. “Workouts are going well, and I’m pretty careful about what I eat most of the time.”

“Do you like the meal service?”, Debbie asked.

Michael nodded. “So good”, he said. “It’s really yummy. The kids like it too, and most of the stuff is super healthy. It’s hearty enough that it get’s Cooper the calories that he needs for workouts, but it’s low enough in calories that I don’t go over my daily limit.”

“I still think you’re too thin, honey”, Debbie said. “You’ve always been skinny. When you were younger, you were training all the time, and now it’s because you just don’t eat enough.”

“Mom, I’m fine”, Michael said. “I feel good.”

“Just be careful honey”, Debbie said. “I know that you’re trying to keep your weight down, but you still need to eat enough to get the energy to keep up with your work and your own workouts.”

“Mom, I’m fine”, Michael said again. “I promise.”

Debbie smiled. “Good”, she said.

The food arrived, and Michael dug into his fried chicken. “See Mom?”, he said. “I eat unhealthy stuff too!”

Debbie laughed and shook her head. “I love you, sweet boy”, she said.

“Love you too, Mom”, Michael said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

“Chew your food, honey”, Debbie said with a laugh.

***

After trials, they had a few weeks to prepare for their trip to Budapest.

Chris had insisted on Allison going. He said that he didn’t mind staying home with baby Derek and that Allison needed some time away from home. Allison hated to leave him so soon. She wanted to be with her husband and her newborn son, but she really wanted to be at the Olympics to see the team compete.

“Daaaad”, Cooper whined before they left. “Why can’t I stay in the Village with the team?”

“Cooper, stop whining. You’re fifteen years old”, Ryan said. “And you’re not staying in the Village.”

“Why not?”, Cooper asked.

“You’re fifteen”, Ryan said. “Too old to whine and too young for what happens in the Village.”

“Maybe next time”, Michael said. “Cooper, you’re too young. There are a lot of parties that happen, and a lot of drinking, and other stuff. You’re too young. I didn’t stay in the village during my first Olympics either.”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “Fine”, he groaned.

Ryan laughed. “Tell you what”, he said. “Mike and I talked to Luke’s parents the other day. We’re going to let you two have your own hotel room. I know it’s not the same thing as being in the Village with the team, but you’ll sort of be on your own.”

Cooper considered this. Then he nodded. “Yeah, okay”, he said. “That sounds cool. Thanks.”

Luke and Cooper were excited about their first Olympics. Michael was looking forward to sharing the moments with Cooper and recalling his own memories. Ryan was looking forward to watching his son accomplish all the things that he had missed out on all those years ago.


	14. Chapter 14

Soon enough, they were all in Budapest, excited for a great experience. Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming weeks.

Luke and Cooper carried their luggage into their suite. “I wish we were staying in the Village”, Luke lamented.

“Me too”, Cooper replied, the disappointment evident in his voice. “Next time.”

Luke nodded. “Definitely”, he said. “So, when is Kat getting here?”

“Tomorrow”, Cooper said. “She and her parents have tickets to a few finals sessions. Too bad Caroline can’t be here too.”

“Yeah”, Luke said. “She’s working all summer.”

“Bummer”, Cooper replied.

Luke shrugged. “S’ok”, he said. “We’re going to hang out a bunch before school starts. Her parents will be away for Labor Day weekend, so I’ll probably go hang out with her while they’re gone.”

“Cool”, Cooper said.

Cooper’s first gold medal of his first Olympics was in the 400 Individual Medley. He raised his arms high in the air and waved to the crowd. His Team USA sweatpants slipped down, and his jacket rose up, displaying his muscular torso.

After the medal ceremony, he climbed up into the stands and greeted his family. They all congratulated him, and they cried together. He smiled at Tessa, who was beaming proudly. He took off his medal and put it around her neck.

Tessa looked down at it. “Pretty”, she said, and Cooper smiled.

“I’m glad you like it”, Cooper said. “Did you see me swim?”

Tessa nodded. “You were good”, she said with a smile.

“I love you, Buddy”, Ryan said. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, Dad”, Cooper said. “I love you too.”

After the events were over for the night, Cooper and Luke went back to their hotel room. Luke’s parents had stopped by a bakery earlier that day and bought a box of Hungarian pastries for the boys. They ate slices of kugelhupf, bukta, and dobos torta.

“Oh my God”, Cooper said as he took another bite of kugelhupf. “This is delicious.”

“So good”, Luke agreed. “Good thing we have races tomorrow so we can burn this off.”

Cooper nodded. “Yup”, he said. “Worth it, though. These are delicious.”

“We need stuff like this in Baltimore”, Luke said. “I’d get so fat though.”

Cooper laughed. “Worth it”, he said.

Luke took another bite of his pastry, and a cloud of powdered sugar rose in the air. “Yup”, he agreed.

The next morning, the boys got up to go to the pool for warm-ups. Cooper could barely concentrate because he was so excited about seeing Kat later that night.

Cooper made it to finals in the 200 meter backstroke, and Luke was going to finals in the 200 meter breaststroke.

Luke got a silver medal. When Cooper made his way to the blocks, he looked up into the stands and squinted to try to see his family and Kat and her family.

He adjusted his jammers and took his headphones out of his ears. He dropped into the water and got into position. At the sound of the beep, he was off. He cursed himself for the hundredth time that week about working on his starts. He was sure that he didn't go out fast enough, but he was able to improve throughout the race, and ended up in third place. He was disappointed in himself for not doing better, but he accepted his bronze medal with a smile. Then, he made his way to the stands to greet all those who had come to cheer for him. He kissed Kat in front of everyone, and presented her with his medal. In the row behind her and her family was Tessa who still had Cooper’s medal from the previous night hanging around her neck.

After Cooper and Luke warmed down and showered and changed, they went out for dinner with their families, and Kat and her family. 

They enjoyed a dinner of goulash and other Hungarian specialties, then Luke and his family went for a walk. Ryan and Michael went back to their hotel with Kat’s parents. Kat and Cooper stayed outside for a little while, just taking in the sights of Budapest at night.

They took a walk down to the shoe memorial along the Danube River. Emotions were already running high, but Cooper hadn’t expected himself to tear up at the sight of the shoes. He had read about it in history class in school, but seeing it in person was a different story.

“It’s so pretty here”, Kat said. “Thank you for inviting me and my family.”

“You’re welcome”, Cooper said. “I’m glad you’re all here.”

They walked back to the hotel hand in hand. When they got to Cooper’s room, Luke was still out with his parents. Cooper and Kat took that opportunity to spend some time together.

“I’m really glad you’re here”, Cooper said again as Kat joined him on the couch in the common area of the suite he was sharing with Luke.

“Me too”, Kat said. “It was fun watching you swim tonight.”

“It’s been an amazing experience”, Cooper agreed. “I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

“You’re going to be really famous now”, Kat said, as she leaned on his shoulder. “Don’t forget the little people, okay?”

Cooper laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. “Never”, he said. “You’re getting pretty famous yourself.”

Kat laughed. “Well… We’ll see how next year goes”, she said.

Cooper smiled. “I love you”, he said.

Kat looked up at him, surprised. She smiled. “I love you too”, she said.

Cooper leaned over and clasped his hand over her hip. He slipped his thumb under the waistband of her shorts and along the smooth skin of her stomach. A small noise escaped from Kat’s throat.

“You okay?”, Cooper asked gently. “Am I hurting you?”

“Nope”, Kat said blissfully. “I’m great.”

Cooper’s hand went up Kat’s shirt and he allowed it to wander the curves and soft skin of her body. “You look good”, he said.

“Thanks”, Kat said softly. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Cooper laughed softly. “Do you want to go over to the bed?”, he asked.

“Okay”, Kat said, as she gave him a kiss.

Cooper stood up and took Kat’s hand to help her off of the couch. They went into Cooper’s room and stripped themselves of their restrictive clothing.

They had sex that night and as Cooper held his beautiful girlfriend in his arms, he felt content. He was only fifteen years old, too young to settle down, but he really thought he loved her. The truth was, at fifteen, he still had so much to learn.

***

The next morning, Cooper made it to finals in the 800 meter freestyle. He had discovered throughout his intensive training, that he tended to be stronger and faster in longer races.

During the break between semis and finals, Cooper and Ryan had lunch together, then went for a walk. Cooper showed Ryan the shoe memorial that he and Kat had gone to the night before. They were both quiet while they walked around, taking in the beauty of the river, and the solemness of the memorial.

“So, you and Kat are getting pretty serious, huh?”, Ryan asked.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “She’s great. She’s pretty and smart, and… just… a really awesome girl.”

“You’re a little young to settle down, Coop”, Ryan said gently. “Just… be careful.”

Cooper sighed. “I know we’re young, but I really care about her”, he said. “She’s special.”

“I like how happy she makes you”, Ryan said. “And she’s a really sweet girl. I just don’t want you to miss out on anything because you think you already found the One.”

“I love her, Dad”, Cooper said. “I think she is the one.”

“You’re fifteen, Coop”, Ryan said. “Mike and I love Kat, and we love that you found someone nice to spend time with, but you still have your whole life ahead of you.”

“But it’s possible to know at my age, right?”, Cooper asked.

“I don’t know”, Ryan told him honestly. “I dated a lot when I was your age, and didn’t really know what love was until I met Mike, but maybe you and Kat got lucky and figured it out early.”

“I think I did, Dad”, Cooper said seriously.

Ryan considered his son’s words and nodded. “Okay”, he said. “Have you…?”

Cooper groaned. “I don’t want to talk to you about my sex life, Dad”, he interrupted. “Gross.”

Ryan laughed in agreement. He wanted his kid to do the right thing, but Cooper was right. Dads didn’t need to know that stuff. “Fair enough”, he said, nudging Cooper’s shoulder. “Are you at least being safe?”

Oops.

Cooper rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad”, he lied. “Of course. We learned about that stuff in Health class.”

“Good”, Ryan said, apparently not catching on to Cooper’s lie. He clamped his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “Do you want to head back to the hotel?”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I want to take a nap before warm-ups.”

Ryan and Cooper walked back to the hotel. Cooper went to his room, and took a nap. When he woke up, he did some stretches, then went down to the lobby to wait for the bus that was going over to the warm-up pool.

He did a few laps, chatted with his teammates, and gossiped with Luke about the night before. He wanted to tell someone about him and Kat. After warm-ups, they made their way to the ready room to prepare for their races. They both had a good night of competition. Luke ended up with a bronze medal in the 100 meter butterfly.  
Cooper waited in the ready room for the start of the 800 meter freestyle.

“You nervous, buddy?’, Michael asked him, squeezing his shoulder.

“Nah”, Cooper lied and he forced a smile.

“Yes”, they both said together, and laughed.

“You’re going to be great”, Michael told him. “You’ve trained hard and you’re ready. This is your best event. It’s just you and the pool. You’ve got this.”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “Thanks.”

“Go get ‘em, Kid”, Michael said, patting him on the back, turning away for a moment so Cooper wouldn’t see the film of tears that had formed in his eyes. He was so damn proud of this kid, and it brought back so many of his own Olympic memories.

Cooper looked up at him. “You okay, Mike?”, he asked with a grin.

Michael smiled. “Yeah”, he said.

“Are you crying?”, Cooper teased.

“Nope”, Michael replied, grinning back at Cooper. “It’s really dusty in here.”

Cooper laughed. “Love you”, he said quietly.

“Love you too, kid”, Michael said. “Go get ‘em.”

Cooper followed his competitors out to the pool. He was in the forth lane, having gotten very close to the world record with his top seeded time that morning. He smiled at the Canadian swimmer in the lane next to him, then dove in to the pool at the sound of the beep.

He knew that he hadn’t gotten off to a great start. It was just one more thing that he knew he had to work on. He managed to correct his mistakes throughout the race, something that he had always been good at. He made up the time, and passed the other swimmers, managing to gain a full body length over the next fastest swimmer…. and then he won. “…and that’s a new World Record!”, the announcer said.

Cooper looked up at the scoreboard and saw “WR” next to his name. He couldn’t help it. He burst into tears. He pulled off his cap and goggles and dunked under the water. He climbed out of the pool and ran over to Michael, who was standing with the other coaches and wiping away tears of his own.

He almost slipped on the pool deck and grinned sheepishly as he looked up at Michael. “No running”, he said. “Sorry.”

Michael’s eyes were shining. He shook his head and laughed. “I’m so proud of you, Cooper”, he said as he hugged him tightly.

Cooper hugged Michael tightly, and buried his face in his shoulder. “Thank you”, he said. “For everything.”

“Go get your medal”, Michael said gently. “I love you, Kid.”

“I love you too”, Cooper said, as he rushed off to join the other medalists on the stand.

As he bent down to receive his medal, the tears started flowing again. He put his hand to his heart and sang along with the National Anthem.

After the medal ceremony, the media flocked to him and bombarded him with questions. “How do you feel? What else are you working on? Is there anyone you want to thank?”

Cooper smiled. “I feel amazing”, he said. “It’s been an incredible week. I definitely need to work on my starts, and I certainly wouldn’t mind getting faster, but I’m really happy. Having my Dad as my coach has been great, and the rest of the family is amazing too. My girlfriend is here with her family, and I’m so happy she could be here. I’m very lucky to have such a great support system. I couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

Cooper left Budapest feeling happy and proud. He displayed his medals, except for the one he had given to Kat, next to Michael’s in the family trophy case in the study.

 

***

 

He had a few weeks before school started again, so he and Luke spent a lot of time relaxing and hanging out. They went to the mall and to the beach, and enjoyed their break from swimming and school. Luke was able to spend some time with Caroline when her summer job ended, but before school started

Cooper had wanted to spend some time with Kat too, but ever since they all got back from Budapest, she always claimed to be busy. He tried to ignore the fact that she seemed to be distancing herself from him. He hung out with Luke and Caroline a few times, but even Caroline didn’t seem to know what was going on with Kat.

He wanted to just call Kat and ask her what was wrong, but he kept figuring that she’d come to him if she wanted to talk. She didn’t. By the time school started again, she wasn’t even answering his calls. He confronted her about it in homeroom on the first day of school.

“Kat, where have you been?”, he asked. “Why don’t you want to talk to me?”

“I had the flu”, Kat said, and Cooper could tell it was a lie. “I’m fine now. Just forget it.”

“You’ve been ignoring all of my calls”, Cooper said. “I just want to know why.”

“I told you to forget it”, Kat snapped. She picked up her books and backpack, and stormed out of the classroom.

Later that day, Cooper was chatting with Caroline, who told him that Kat felt sick in math class, and was sent home after a trip to the nurse’s office.

Kat was out of school for a week. Cooper was getting more and more worried. Caroline seemed to know what was going on, but she didn’t share any of her information with Cooper or Luke or anyone else.

By then, a lot of rumors about Kat’s whereabouts had started to fly. Cooper didn’t want to listen to any of them. He just wanted to know what was really going on. He wanted to talk to his girlfriend and find out what was going on. If something was wrong, he wanted to see what he could do to help her.

He wanted to know the truth. It would all come out later, but nothing could have prepared Cooper for the roller coaster of emotions that he was about to embark on.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a bit longer than usual. 
> 
> The one where Cooper hits the downward spiral.

Cooper couldn’t take it anymore. The stress was too much. Kat wouldn't talk to him. No one knew what was going on. He had to know what was wrong. After training one afternoon he asked Michael to drive him to Kat’s house before going home for dinner.

“Of course”, Michael said.

Cooper smiled and buckled his seatbelt. “Thanks, Mike”, he said.

Michael drove out of the parking lot and down the street. He and Cooper were both quiet as he drove. He tuned the corner onto Kat’s street and pulled up in front of her house. Cooper got out of the car. “Do you want me to wait for you?”, Michael asked.

Cooper hesitated. Then he nodded. “Yes please”, he said quietly. He got out of the car and walked up to the front door and knocked.

“Sure”, Michael said. “I’ll be out here when you’re ready to go home.”

Kat’s mother answered the door. She saw Michael’s Escalade parked in front of the house and she waved to him. “Hello, Cooper”, she said with a smile. “How are you? Winding down from Budapest?”

“I’m great, Mrs. Long”, he said. “Already training hard for the next meet. How are you?”

“Wonderful”, Mrs. Long replied, opening the door wider for him. “Come on in.”

“Thank you”, Cooper said, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. “Is Kat home?”

Mrs. Long nodded. “I’ll call her down for you” she said. 

“Thank you”, Cooper said.

“Katarina”, Mrs. Long called up the stairs. “Cooper is here to see you.”

“Tell him I’m not here”, Kat called back, oblivious to the fact that Cooper was standing right there, or perhaps she _wanted_ him to hear that. Then she walked out of her room and looked over the railing.

“Hi Kat”, Cooper said, as he saw her at the top of the stairs.

Kat rolled her eyes and groaned. “Come on up”, she said with annoyance in her voice. Then she turned and walked back into her room.

Cooper smiled weakly at Mrs. Long, who shrugged. Then he walked up the stairs to Kat’s bedroom. When he walked in, she was standing in front of the full length mirror, looking at her reflection. Her shirt was pulled up partway, and she had her hand on her stomach.

“Sweetie?”, Cooper began softly, as he went to reach for her shoulder.

Kat spun around. “Don’t call me that”, she exclaimed, her eyes were wide, and looked cold and dark.

“Kat”, Cooper said softly.

“What are you doing here?”, Kat sneered. There were tears in her eyes, and Cooper didn't know what to do.

Cooper kept his voice even. He was upset, but he didn’t want to make things worse by letting Kat know that. “My girlfriend is ignoring me and I miss her”, he said softly.

“Stop it”, Kat snapped.

“Kat, what the fuck is going on?”, he asked. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

Kat sighed. “I’m pregnant”, she said. “I mean, I think I am. I haven’t gone to the doctor yet.”

Cooper’s face went white. “Oh”, he said hoarsely. 

“I’m late”, Kat said. “So…”

Cooper could feel the blood leaving his face. He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. “What are we going to do?”, he asked tenderly. He wanted so badly to help her. He wanted to be there for her.

Kat shook her head. “ _We_ aren’t doing anything”, she said, her voice getting louder. “If I find out that I am pregnant, I’m not keeping this baby. You’re going to leave me alone.”

“What do your parents think?”, Cooper asked softly. 

“They don’t know”, she said. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Kat”, Cooper tried again.

“Just leave”, Kat said pleadingly. “Please.”

“Is there anything I can do?”, Cooper asked softly.

“No”, Kat said. “Please just leave me alone. It’s over. We’re over.”

Cooper felt like he was suffocating. All he could do was nod. He quietly walked out of her room and down the stairs.

“Good night, Cooper”, Mrs. Long said quietly, as she watched him go. “Everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Long”, Cooper said. “Thank you. Good night.”

“Good night, Cooper”, Mrs. Long said. “It was nice to see you.”

Cooper forced himself to smile. “It was really nice to see you too”, he said. “Thanks again.”

He walked outside and climbed back into Michael’s car.

“Hey, kiddo”, Michael said. “How did everything go?”

Cooper opened his mouth to speak, and burst into tears.

“Cooper”, Michael said quietly. He reached over and touched Cooper’s shoulder as he began to drive. He drove for a few minutes, then pulled up next to a park. He turned off the car and turned to the crying teenager in his front seat. “What’s up?”

“It’s over”, Cooper said sadly, as he tried to regain his composure. He was hiccuping and gasping for air and furiously trying to wipe away the tears that were flowing down his cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess.”

Michael shook his head. “It’s okay”, he said. “No need to apologize. We all have moments like this. Some of us more than others.”

“She doesn’t want me anymore”, Cooper said sadly.

“I’m so sorry, Kid”, Michael said gently. “What happened?”

“I umm… I don’t want to get in trouble”, Cooper said softly.

“You won’t get in trouble”, Michael said gently. “I promise. Tell me what’s going on, and we’ll see if we can fix it.”

“I don’t think this can be fixed”, Cooper said.

Michael smiled. “Try me”, he said.

Cooper nodded. “Okay”, he said. “Kat thinks she might be pregnant.”

Michael turned to face him. “Oh”, he said. “Are you… the father?”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “I mean, unless she and some other guy… but she and I…”

“Cooper, Dad and I could have bought you some…”, Michael began.

“I have some”, Cooper interrupted. “I forgot to bring them to Budapest with me. Kat came back to my room one night and…”

“One thing led to another?”, Michael finished for him, smiling slightly.

“Kinda. Yeah”, Cooper said. “Sorry.”

Michael shook his head. “It’s okay”, he said. “Just try to remember to be safe next time.”

“There won’t be a next time”, Cooper said. “It’s over.”

“I just mean…”, Michael began. “Whether it’s with Kat… or anyone.”

Cooper just shook his head. “It’s over”, he said again.

“I’m sorry, Coop”, Michael said gently. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Cooper nodded. “Okay”, he said. “Sure. Thanks, Mike.”

They climbed out of the car, and began to walk around the park.

“So what now?”, Michael asked gently.

Cooper shrugged. “Dunno”, he said. “She made it pretty clear that she doesn’t want my help.”

“Is she keeping the baby?”, Michael asked, trying as best he could to be sensitive, supportive, and practical.

Cooper shook his head sadly. He bent down and picked up a stone off the ground and threw it into the pond. He watched the ripples that it made as it hit the water. “Nope”, he said, popping the ‘P’

“Oh”, Michael said. 

“And like, I can’t tell he what to do”, Cooper said. “It’s totally her call, but, like I wish she would let me help her.”

Michael put his arm around Cooper’s shoulders. “I know, Kid”, he said. “It’s tough.”

***

Later that night, after they finished dinner and cleaned the kitchen, Michael put Tessa to bed. When he came back downstairs, he joined Cooper and Ryan on the couch.

“Cooper told me what happened”, Ryan said, glancing up at Michael.

“It sucks”, Cooper said. “I don’t know what to do.”

“There’s not much you can do unless she asks you”, Ryan said softly. “It’s her choice what to do about the baby. And If she told you that she wants space, you have to give it to her.”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah, I know”, he said sadly. “I’m going to go upstairs.”

“You okay, bud?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper shrugged. “I just don't feel that great”, he said. “I’m going to try to get some sleep so I can be ready for training in the morning.”

“Good night, Coop”, Michael said.

“Night”, Cooper replied.

“Thanks for talking to him”, Ryan said. “He told me you really helped him.”

“He’s a good kid”, Michael said. “I hate seeing him so sad, though.”

“Me too”, Ryan said. “It’s hard to see him feeling the way I did when everything happened with Sarah.”

“Oh yeah”, Michael said. “I didn't even think of that.”

Cooper went up to his room and opened his laptop. He logged onto Facebook and saw that Kat had already changed her relationship status to “single.” He looked at his phone on his desk and saw that he had missed a text message from Luke.

**Luke [8:50 PM]:** Hey man what happened? Saw Kat’s status. U ok?

Cooper sighed and typed out a response. **Cooper [9:20 PM]:** She broke up with me. Will give u details tomorrow.

**Luke [9:22 PM]:** Sucks man. U ok?

Cooper smiled at the thought of his best friend’s support. He punched out a reply. 

 

**Cooper [9:22 PM]:** Ya. I’m good for now. Will fill u in on the deets tmrw.

**Luke [9:24 PM]:** K. Hang in there.

**Cooper [9:25 PM]:** Thx. Night.

He tossed his phone on his bed behind him, and reached into his desk drawer for the bottle of vodka that he had stashed in there. He took a long swig. He paused, then finished off the last little bit at the bottom of the bottle. It burned as it hit his throat. He hid the empty bottle under his bed, and crawled under the covers to try to get some sleep.

The next morning, he and Michael went to the pool. He tried to concentrate on his training. During a break, he told Luke everything that had happened with Kat.

“That sucks, dude”, Luke said once Cooper finished telling him the story. “I’m so sorry.”

Cooper shrugged. “Thanks, dude”, he said. “It does suck, but it’s not like there’s anything I can do about it.”

***

When they got to school later that morning, Caroline was waiting for them in the lobby. “Hey”, she said. “Coop, I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks”, Cooper said. “Have you talked to her?”

Caroline paused. She took a deep breath before speaking. “Last night”, she said. “She’s starting at her new school today.”

“New school?”, Cooper repeated.

“Yeah”, Caroline said. “Wait… she didn’t tell you that she changed schools?”

Cooper shook his head. “She didn’t tell me much of anything”, he admitted. “Basically kicked me out of her house. Her mom was nice to me though, so it seems like her parents don’t really know what’s up.”

“I don’t think she told them”, Caroline admitted.

“I just… I wish she would let me do something to help her”, Cooper said.

Caroline nodded. “I really am sorry”, she said.

“Thanks”, Cooper said.

Now that he was single, he didn’t have any distractions. Without a girlfriend to hang out with, he had no excuses for getting behind on his training and school work. He threw himself into his training. He was even spending extra time at the pool. He was training hard, and did exceptionally well at Pro Swim Minneapolis. He still missed Kat, but tried to take his mind off of her by focusing on other things. He was studying hard, and spent any time not at the pool, working on his homework and extra credit work. He was exhausted, but felt proud of everything that he had accomplished.

After the holidays, he and Like began taking Driver’s Ed one day a week after school. They were excited about being able to drive soon. Cooper was hoping that Michael and Ryan would let him use some of his sponsorship money to buy himself a Range Rover, his dream car. 

After class, they took a bus to the pool. Cooper had been doing well with the sets that Michael had planned for him. After practice one night, Michael let Cooper drive home.

“Good job, Coop”, Michael coached as Cooper drove nervously down the street. “Easy. Okay. Stay calm. You’re doing great. Now turn here. Carefully. Good. Cooper you’re doing a great job.”

When they got home, Cooper carefully pulled into the driveway. He turned to Michael and smiled. “Thanks for letting me drive home”, he said.

“You’re welcome”, Michael said. “You did a really good job.”

As Cooper prepared for his driving test, Ryan had been planning a surprise party for Michael’s fortieth birthday later that summer. It was going to be a busy few months, and everyone was excited.

Cooper went to Pro Swim Orlando after having skipped Austin. He signed some autographs and posed for pictures with his fans, who were mostly young kids and teenage girls. He was having a great time with his National Team friends, and spent a lot of time flirting with Jessica, one of the Swim MAC girls whom he had developed a little bit of a crush on. From the way she was acting, it seemed like the feeling was mutual.

Back at home, his grades had started to slip, after having done so well for a while. He was losing interest in his classes and was beginning to wonder if he should drop out of school to focus on swimming.

“Absolutely not”, Ryan said when Cooper brought up the idea to him and Michael. “You have to finish high school. After graduation, you can do whatever you want, but you’re not dropping out.”

“I don’t want to go anymore”, Cooper complained.

“If you drop out of high school, I won’t allow you to compete anymore”, Ryan said.

Cooper groaned. “Fine”, he said.

***

Cooper’s grades got worse. He had always been a good student, consistently getting all As, so when he started failing tests, and currently had a C-minus in science, his best subject, Michael and Ryan were worried. They wanted to give him some space, but it had gotten so bad that they thought they should talk to him about it.

“I’m fine”, Cooper insisted, when they voiced their concerns. “I do okay. I’m getting by.”

“Cooper, you need to get your grades up”, Ryan said. “If you don’t, you can’t buy a car.”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “Fine”, he said. “I’ll try.”

Cooper had been saving the money he made from doing yard work for the neighbors. On top of that, he had some sponsorship money. He was planning on putting most of it into a savings account, but there were two big things that he wanted. He wanted to get an Olympic Rings tattoo and he wanted to buy a car. He kept the promise he made to Michael and Ryan. He went back to his old habits of spending every moment when he wasn’t swimming, working on his school work. His grades improved, and while he still wasn’t back to his usual good grades, he was doing a lot better and he was feeling good about everything. 

He was training extremely hard, and with Michael and Ryan’s permission, he got an Olympic Rings tattoo on the back of his shoulder. Ryan and Michael kept their promise too. Since Cooper had improved his grades, they allowed him to buy his first car. He got his wish, and bought a black Range Rover, similar to one of the ones that Michael had owned in his younger days.

“Good choice, kid”, Michael said when he brought it home after Ryan signed the paperwork on the purchase. “I think you’re going to love this car.”

Cooper grinned. “I’m pretty pumped”, he said.

Ever since Pro Swim Orlando, Cooper had been texting back and forth with Jessica, one of the girls from Swim MAC. He really wanted to spend some time with her, but didn't want to tell Ryan and Michael. He didn’t have a reason for hiding it, but for some reason he just felt funny about it and didn’t want them to know what he was up to. When Jessica invited him to come see her in Charlotte, he concocted an elaborate story about going away for the weekend with Luke and his family. 

On the morning he left to go see Jessica, he dropped Luke off at school, and drove to North Carolina. He spent the weekend with Jessica, whose parents were away for the weekend. Cooper and Jessica spent the weekend drinking and partying. One of Jessica’s friends talked Cooper into trying something from an unidentified bag of drugs that he had brought to the party.

“What’s this?”, Cooper asked tentatively, as he poked through the bag.

Jessica’s friend shrugged. “Who knows?”, he said. “It could be anything, really. Think of it as a grab bag. Come on try it. It won’t hurt you.”

Cooper laughed nervously. Everyone at the party was watching him expectantly. He shrugged. “Sure”, he said. “Why not, right?’

Things got a little fuzzy after that. He felt sick. He had no idea what the drugs were, but he knew that the reaction his body had to them wasn’t good. He figured that it had reacted with the drinks somehow. He spent most of the night throwing up. He finally fell asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning.

A few hours later, he woke up with a killer hangover. He figured that it was made worse by the combination of the alcohol and the drugs. He cursed himself for being stupid, but had to admit that he had fun with Jessica and her friends. He hated to leave, but he had to get back home for school and training. He kissed Jessica goodbye, and got into his car to start the seven hour drive home. Even with a few stops along the way, he figured he could make it home in time for dinner.

When he got home, Michael, Ryan, and Tessa were in the kitchen. Michael and Ryan didn’t give any indication that they knew about Cooper’s lies, and that he had skipped school on Friday.

“Hey Coop”, Ryan said. “How was your weekend?’

“It was good”, Cooper said wearily. “I had fun.”

“You okay, Coop?”, Ryan asked. “You don’t look so good.”

Cooper forced himself to smile and tried to ignore the bile that was rising in his throat. “Yeah”, he said. “Fine. Just a little tired, I think.”

“Okay”, Ryan said. “Do you want some dinner?”

“I…” Cooper started to say that he had stopped for food on the way home, which was true, but he was worried that anything he said would cause Michael and Ryan to figure out that he had lied about where he had gone, so he decided against saying anything. “Yeah, sure.”

“Great”, Ryan said. “It will be ready in about ten minutes. That should give you time to run upstairs and put your stuff away and do whatever else you need to do.”

“Uh huh”, Cooper said, swallowing again. “Great.”

“Cooper, are you sure you’re okay?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper nodded. “Mmm Hmm”, he said.

Cooper went upstairs and put his duffel bag on his bed. He ran into the bathroom and threw up. He and a drink of water, then gargled with some mouthwash before going back downstairs.

“Cooper, I’m going to ask you again”, Ryan began. “Are you sure you’re okay? “Are you sick?”

“I’m fine”, Cooper lied. “I think my stomach is just a little jumpy from being in the car a lot this weekend. I’m good.”

Ryan and Michael didn’t look entirely convinced, but they didn’t say anything. The four of them sat down for dinner and began eating together.

Cooper couldn’t believe how sick he felt. He knew that he had had too much to drink, and still had no idea what the drugs were. If he were to wager a guess, he’d say that the brightly colored, funny shaped pill was Ecstasy, but that thought scared him. He knew that he was lucky that nothing more than getting sick had happened. He made it through about half of his dinner before he felt too sick to continue. “Can I be excused?”, he asked.

Ryan nodded. “Of course”, he said. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine”, Cooper lied. “I’m just tired. The weekend took a lot out of me.”

He went upstairs to get some sleep. He knew that some of the choices he had been making lately hadn’t been the best, but he was having too much fun to care. He liked that the drugs and alcohol made him forget his problems. He liked dating and having sex, and meeting new people. He knew that made him sound like a jerk, but he was young and single. His reasoning for doing the things that he was doing was that everyone else did them.

In May, he went to Pro Swim Charlotte. He swam well, and spent a lot of time with Jessica. So far, he had been able to keep the drugs and alcohol a secret from Michael and Ryan. He hadn’t been tested for drugs in a while, and knew that he’d have to cut down or figure out how to cheat on a drug test because was sure that he’d be due soon.

At the end of the weekend, he and Luke were hanging out in their hotel room. Cooper’s phone buzzed with an alert of a new text message. He picked up his phone and saw that it was from Kat. He hadn’t talked to her since she told him that she was pregnant, so he was surprised to see her name pop up on the screen of his phone.

**Kat [10:50 PM]:** Hey Coop. been watching some of the live stream. looks like you’re having fun in Charlotte. Hope life is good. :)

Cooper smiled. He missed Kat a lot, but he had been having so much fun with Jessica, that he hadn’t really thought about her in a while. Still, her message made him smile, and he typed out a response. 

**Cooper [10:52 PM]:** Hey! good to hear from u. life is good. school, swimming, and dating. fun stuff. Miss u.


	16. Chapter 16

One afternoon in late June, Michael and Allison were finishing up work for the day. Since the Elite team had the day off, and the kids’ lessons were done for the day. Cooper was already at home and he and Michael didn't have to wait for each other that afternoon. Michael used his break from running a training to catch up on the pile of paperwork on his desk that he had been avoiding for a while.

Allison stood at the door of Michael’s office. “Hey”, she said. “It’s Chris’ day to pick up Derek at day care, so I have a free evening. Do you want to hang out with me for a little while?”

Michael smiled. “Okay”, he said. “I’d love to hang out with you, Allie. It’s been a while.”

They went out for coffee, and drank it as they walked around the park. They spent time chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

After a while, Michael looked at his watch, then turned to Allison. “I had a really nice time, Al”, he said. “But I should get home.”

Allison nodded. “Okay”, she said. 

“Do you want to come over for a little while?”, Michael asked.

“Sure”, Allison said. “That would be nice.”

They both walked out to their cars to drive over to Michael and Ryan’s house.

When they got home, there were cars lined up on the street out front. Michael pulled into the driveway and Allison pulled in and parked behind him. They both got out of their cars and met in the driveway.

“What’s all this?”, Michael asked incredulously.

Allison smiled and shrugged. “No idea”, she said in a way that made Michael think that Allison knew exactly what was going on. Twenty years of friendship could do that. 

 

“No idea, huh?”, Michael asked with a laugh.

Allison shrugged again. She patted him on the back. “Maybe we should go inside and investigate.”

When they got inside, Michael was greeted by his friends and family who had all come out to help him celebrate his fortieth birthday. Ryan came to greet him at the door. “Happy Birthday, Babe”, he said.

Michael kissed him. “Thank you, Baby”, he said.

“Thanks for distracting him, Al”, Ryan said to Allison.

“My pleasure”, Allison replied, leaning forward to give Ryan a hug.

Michael spent the evening talking with the many friends and family who were there. He ate the food that Chris’ catering company had provided. When Cooper joined the group in the living room, everyone wanted to hear about his training.

“It’s going well”, Cooper said happily. “I’m hoping to make the team for Stockholm in three years, so I have a lot of work to do.”

“Good for you”, Michael’s aunt Amy said. “Are you still dating that nice young lady you were with last year?”

Cooper shook his head. “Not anymore”, he said. “Long story. Lately, I’ve just been swimming and going to school and hanging out with friends and stuff.”

“That’s great”, Amy said. “And Michael, how are your other swimmers doing?”

“Really well”, Michael said. “There’s a lot of talent in the group. They’re great kids. It’s a lot of work, but they make me really proud.”

“And how’s your health?”, Amy asked, eyeing him carefully.

Michael tried not to laugh. His mother and her sister were so alike. “I’m great, Aunt Amy”, Michael said. “Really good, actually.”

“Good”, Amy said. “You look very lean. You must be exercising a lot.”

Michael nodded. “I am”, he said. “Working out every day and eating really healthy. I feel great.”

“Good”, Amy said. “And are you healthy in other ways too?”

Michael smiled. He avoided rolling his eyes. He was convinced that Debbie had put his aunt up to this. “Yeah” he said. “Everything is great.”

While they were all talking, Chris and Ryan carried the cake into the living room. Allison led everyone in singing “Happy Birthday”

Michael stood up to hug Ryan. He fought back tears as Ryan kissed him. “Thank you, Ry”, he whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too”, Ryan said. “Happy birthday.”

Everyone ate cake and enjoyed some of the other treats from the dessert table. After a while, the guests began to filter out. 

Tessa was going to spend the night at Allison’s house. Luke’s parents had offered to have Cooper stay over at their house for the night, so the boys could hang out. Michael was thankful that they had so many supportive friends and relatives who had gone to the trouble of helping out. He and Ryan were excited about having a night to themselves. 

Debbie was the last one to leave. “It was a lovely party, Ryan”, she said. “You did a great job.”

“Thank you, Debbie”, Ryan said. “And thank you for all of your help with the planning.”

“My pleasure”, Debbie said. She turned to Michael. “Happy Birthday honey.”

Michael gave her a hug. “Thanks, Mom”, he said. “Are you okay to drive home? I don’t like it when you drive at night.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Michael Fred”, Debbie said as she reached up and patted his cheek. “I’ll be just fine.”

“Okay”, Michael said. “Love you.”

“I love you both”, Debbie replied, as she walked out to her car.

Michael waited until she pulled out of the driveway, then he closed the front door. He grinned at Ryan. “Want to go upstairs?”, he asked, as he clicked the lock in the locked position.

Ryan grinned back and shook his head. He went to the hall closet and pulled out two suitcases. “We’re going to the Four Seasons tonight”, he said.

Michael’s face lit up and his eyes grew wide. “Wow”, he said. “Thanks, Ry!”

“Happy Birthday”, Ryan said.

Ryan drove them to the hotel. They checked in, and went up to their room. It had a big window that overlooked the harbor. Their room had a hot tub.

They climbed into the hot tub, and drank too much wine, and laughed at stupid stuff as the jets of water shot out around them. Michael ran his foot up and down Ryan’s leg, and he reached over and held Ryan’s hand. 

When they felt sufficiently tipsy, they climbed out, dried off and went over to the bed. They were both naked and laying on their side and facing each other. 

Michael nipped at Ryan’s ear. “This has been the best birthday ever”, he said softly.

“I’m glad”, Ryan said. “I love you.”

Michael swung a leg over Ryan’s hip. Ryan had a hand wrapped protectively around Michael’s waist. He gently ran his thumb up and down the soft ripple of Michael’s muscles. Michael’s stomach clenched, and Ryan felt Michael’s muscles contract.

“You okay?”, Ryan asked quietly.

Michael swallowed. “Yup”, he said. “Great. I love you, Ry.”

Ryan tightened his grip on Michael’s hip, and shifted so that his legs were intertwined with Michael’s. “I love you so much”, he said. “So much.”

Michael’s hand gripped one of Ryan’s legs that was curled around him. He moved his hand up to Ryan’s ass and squeezed. “Nice, Baby”, he said.

“So good”, Ryan replied. 

“Best birthday ever”, Michael said.


	17. Chapter 17

Over the summer, Luke quit swimming, which came as a big surprise to everyone. He had decided that he wanted to focus on other things. He wanted to play football and basketball and have more time to spend with family and friends. Cooper was disappointed that he wouldn’t get to spend time with his best friend at practice anymore, but supported his decision, and figured that they’d find other times to hang out.

Cooper continued to practice, and spent the rest of the summer training hard. He still went to parties, and tried to keep his grades up on top of everything else. He was still having trouble staying interested in his classes, but wanted to keep his promise to Michael and Ryan. He worked hard to keep his grades up. He finally told Michael and Ryan about Jessica, and was thankful that he didn't have to make up a story every time he wanted to visit Jessica in North Carolina. 

Jessica was going to be moving to Berkeley for college at the end of the summer, so Cooper wanted to pack in as much fun as possible before their inevitable breakup. He flew down to Charlotte to spend a few days with her before her flight out to school. They spent a lot of time drinking, partying, having sex, and talking about the future. They were both hoping to go to Stockholm in three years. Jessica was going to swim at school, and was thinking about taking a redshirt year and go back to training with SwimMAC when the Stockholm Olympics got closer. Cooper talked about swimming, and left out the part about not wanting to go to college. Jessica didn’t push the issue. As he spent more time with her, Cooper realized that while he liked her very much, and enjoyed the times that he had spent with her, he didn’t feel the same way about her as he did about Kat. He wanted Kat back.

***

“I’m really going to miss you, baby”, Cooper said to Jessica as they were about to part ways at the Charlotte airport. Jessica was flying out to California to begin preseason training and Cooper was flying back to Baltimore to get back to training and get ready for school to start.

“Me too”, Jessica said. “but I’ll see you in Minneapolis in November, right?”

“Definitely”, Cooper said.

“We’ll stay friends, yeah?”, she asked.

“Of course”, Cooper said. “Yeah. Definitely.”

 

***

Cooper went to Minneapolis in November. Luke came along to support the team. 

“I can’t believe you’re not swimming anymore”, Cooper said to Luke while they ate dinner in the hotel lobby on the first night of competition.

Luke shrugged. “It was time for a change”, he said. “wasn’t havin’ fun anymore.”

Cooper considered this. “Yeah”, he said. “It can be stressful, but there’s still like a ton I wanna accomplish, so I’m stickin’ with it for now.”

“Cool”, Luke said. “Good for you, bro.”

As they were finishing their dinner, Jessica walked by. “Hey”, she said,

Cooper stood up and gave her a hug. “Hey Jess”, he said. “How’s college?”

“College is awesome”, she said. “How’s Junior year going?”

“Good”, Cooper said. “Hard.”

Jessica smiled. “You’ll get through it, smarty-pants”, she said. “Taking the SATs soon?”

Cooper shook his head. “Nah”, he said. “Not goin’ to college, so, no point.”

“You’re not going to college?”, Jessica repeated.

“Nope”, Cooper said, shaking his head. “I wanna focus on swimmin’ for now. Maybe I’ll go to college in a few years or somethin’”

Jessica nodded. “You gotta do what you gotta do, right?”, she said.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “I don’t even really wanna finish high school, but my dads said I gotta.”

***

Cooper missed Kat and had been keeping track of everything going on in the figure skating world. It was his way of feeling close to her, even though they hadn’t really talked for a while, aside from a few texts. He knew from reading about figure skating events online and from talking to Caroline that Kat was training hard and preparing to go to the Olympics in Toronto in a few months.

He started sneaking into her practices to watch her in action. Maybe it was stress. Maybe he was still upset about breaking up with Jessica. Maybe he actually really missed Kat. He wasn’t really sure what it was that made him decide to spy on her.

Every day after school, he would sneak into the ice rink and watch her practice. Then he would go to the pool and pretend that nothing had happened. One day, on his way out of the rink, he heard someone call his name.

“Cooper!”, Kat called.

Oh Shit. Cooper quickened his pace and tried to make it out of the building. He reached for the door handle.

 

“Cooper” Kat called again as she ran towards him and held the door closed. 

“I gotta go”, Cooper said.

Kat shook her head. “Nope”, she said. “You’re not leavin’ ’til you talk to me.”

Cooper’s face turned red. “Sorry”, he said. “Sorry. I…”

Kat shrugged. “Don’t apologize”, she said. “I just want to know why you’re here.”

“I miss you”, Cooper said helplessly. “I miss you so fuckin’ much. I love you and I miss you and you texted me while I was in Charlotte, and I really really fucking miss you.” He was getting emotional and was on the verge of begging, but he didn’t care about embarrassing himself.

“You coulda called”, Kat said softly. “You could have called to ask me to hang out or something. You could have called just to say hi. You didn’t have to sneak around for weeks like this.”

“You knew that I’ve been doing this for weeks?”, Cooper asked, feeling embarrassed.

“Yup”, Kat said. “I was wondering if you were ever going to say something, because you were just sort of lurking around being all weird and shit.”

“Creepy, huh?”, Cooper asked, making a face and trying not to laugh.

“Little bit”, Kat agreed, but she was smiling.

“I have to go to training soon, but, can I buy you a cup of coffee?”, Cooper asked hopefully.

Kat looked at him for a long time. “I don’t know”, she said. “I gotta finish training, then go home to eat dinner and study and work out some more.”

“Working out again?”, Cooper asked.

Kat nodded. “Yeah. I’m here twice a day, but I also dance and do yoga for exercise. I might run or something too. I like to work out before bed. It relaxes me.”

Cooper nodded. “That’s why I run sometimes”, he said. “Swimming is great exercise, but I like to do other stuff too.” 

“Yeah”, Kat said. “You’re super dedicated. No wonder you’re in such sick shape.”

Cooper grinned. “I try”, he said.

Kat smiled back. “You look great”, she said.

“You sure you don’t have a little time to hang out?”, Cooper asked hopefully.

“Like, I want to, but I can’t”, Kat said. “It’s just that… tonight… isn’t good. But…soon?”

Cooper nodded sadly. “‘kay”, he said.

Kat reached over and touched his arm. “But like, I’ll call you, okay?”

“‘Kay”, Cooper said again, his eyes fixated on her hand on his arm.

“We’ll figure something out”, Kat said as she leaned over and kissed him.

“I gotta go to the pool”, Cooper said softly.

Kat nodded. “Swim fast”, she replied.

 

***

A few weeks later, Cooper got some mail - tickets to the figure skating events in Toronto. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to tell Michael and Ryan, so he figured he could make up a story about why he wouldn’t be home for a few days. He was getting good at lying.

Cooper stuck the envelope inside the cover of his Trigonometry book and went downstairs. Ryan and Michael were curled up on the couch watching a movie.

“Hey Bud”, Ryan said when he saw Cooper enter the room.

“Hey”, Cooper said. “Can I ask you guys somethin’?”

“Sure, buddy”, Ryan said.

“I um…”, Cooper began. “Luke is goin’ on a ski trip with the outdoor adventure club at school over winter break. They can all bring friends and he invited me. So… can I go with them?”

Ryan and Michael exchanged a glance. “Since when do you ski?”, Michael asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Cooper looked at his feet. Concocting this lie was turning out to be harder than he thought. “I uh… I don’t”, he said. “but like, a buncha people from school are goin’ and I thought it would be fun to go and hang out and socialize and stuff. There’s a pool there so I can still practice and stuff.”

“Where is it?”, Ryan asked.

“Vermont”, Cooper said. “Mount Snow, I think. Supposed to be a fun place to hang out.”

“And how are you getting there?”, Michael asked.

“Drivin’”, Cooper said. “It’ll probably take like eight hours or so, but a bunch of us are takin cars up. I’ll probably drive me and Luke and some people.”  
“And you promise to be careful?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper rolled his eyes. “I know” he said. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

Ryan and Michael looked at each other again and had a conversation with their eyes. “Okay”, Ryan said. “You can go.”

“Great!”, Cooper said. “Thanks!”

***

At the end of the school day on the Friday before February break, Cooper and Luke were walking out of the building together.

“So, just so you know… I told Dad and Mike that I’m gonna be in Vermont with all of you guys… just in case anyone asks”, Cooper said.

“Where are you really going to be?”, Luke asked with a smirk. “Goin’ to meet a girl?”

“Toronto”, Cooper replied, lowering his voice to a whisper.

“Toronto?”, Luke practically yelled.

“Yes. Toronto”, Cooper said. “Shhh…”

“Why the fuck are you going to Toronto?”, Luke asked. “Wait… Cooper!”

“Yup”, Cooper replied, assuming that Luke had figured out what he was up to.

“Olympics?”, Luke asked.

“Kat invited me”, Cooper said.

“Kat?”, Luke exclaimed, still yelling. “Are you back with her?”

Cooper shook his head. “Nah”, he said, still whispering. “But we started talkin’ again so…”

“So?”, Luke asked.

“Dunno what’s gonna happen”, Cooper said. “But I think I wanna…”

“Interesting”, Luke said with a smirk. “Good luck, bro.”

“Thanks, man”, Cooper said.

Cooper went to his Friday afternoon training, then went home for dinner. After dinner, he sat in the living room with Tessa and watched her draw. She had been taking art classes, and was excited to show Cooper the drawing that she was working on. It was a drawing of a pool with someone standing in the corner wearing a medal.

“Cool picture, Tessa”, Cooper said, genuinely impressed. “Who’s that on the medal stand?”

“It’s you, silly!”, Tessa said with a giggle.

“I like it”, Cooper said.

“I made it for you”, Tessa replied, smiling as she handed it to him.

“You did?”, Cooper asked with a smile. “Thank you, Tessa! I love it.”

After Tessa went to bed, Cooper brought the drawing up to his room and hung it on the wall. He smiled again as he admired his little sister’s work. Then he stuck his head in Michael and Ryan’s room.

“Goin’ for a run!”, he called.

“Okay”, Ryan called back.

Cooper went outside and went for a run around the neighborhood. While he ran, he thought about his upcoming trip. He felt guilty for lying to Ryan and and Michael, but he was excited about seeing Kat. He was excited about the possibility of getting back together with her and getting it right the second time around.

When he got back to the house, he went into the basement to do some lifting. He wasn’t sure how much time he’d have to work out in Toronto, so he wanted to make sure he got a good one in before he left. He had been feeling good about his current fitness, and wanted to stay on top of things.

The next morning, he left early to begin his long drive. Ryan and Michael also woke up early to see him off and to give him another lecture about being safe. As far as Cooper knew, they still believed that he was going to Vermont. He was looking forward to seeing Kat compete and was excited about spending time with her again.


	18. Chapter 18

Cooper had calculated the driving time, and figured that even with a few stops for lunch or coffee, or just to get out of the car to stretch, he could make it there by late evening. He wished that he was flying instead of driving, but thought that it might be even harder to lie about that. He got stuck in a lot of traffic, but still managed to make it to the hotel in a reasonable amount of time. He felt so grown up heading out on the open road on his own.

He ate a lot of junk food on the road, because it was the easiest and cheapest option at the rest stops along the route. He silently scolded himself and swore that he’d fit in an extra workout to make up for it.

He pulled into the parking lot of the hotel around 10:00 that night. Kat was waiting for him in the lobby. Her parents felt the same way about the Athlete’s Village as Michael and Ryan, so Kat was going to stay at the hotel. She had her own room though, so she was happy about that. Cooper was happy about it too, because he was thinking that no parents and no roommates meant that they could spend some private time together when Kat wasn’t at the rink. 

Cooper and Kat went up to her room and stayed up all night talking. Kat stood up and opened the drapes, and the sun peeked through the clouds and danced along the windows, making patterns on the wall. Kat leaned over and told Cooper that she had to go over to the rink for warmups.

She got dressed and picked up her workout bag. She went downstairs to catch the shuttle to her workout session, leaving Cooper to his own devices for the morning. He stayed in bed and decided to get a few hours of rest before going to watch Kat’s events.

After his nap, he went down to the hotel’s fitness center for a swim. When he was done, he went to the store next to the hotel and bought a tube of toothpaste and a package of condoms. At the last second, he added a bottle of wine to his purchase. He brought his items back to the hotel and stashed them in his suitcase.

Then he took the shuttle over to the skating rink. He knew from following the Olympic blogs that Kat was the favorite to win gold that night. He watched in awe as a single spotlight in the otherwise dark arena illuminated the rink and the beautiful girl standing in the middle of it. The music came on and she began her routine.

When she finished, she made her way to the sidelines to hug her coach and wait for her scores. 

Cooper looked up at the scoreboard. They weren’t as high as he expected them to be. The gasps throughout the crowd told him that everyone else agreed. Cooper would have given her the highest scores in every category. He would have made up categories, just to give her high scores in those too.

The person sitting next to him was looking at the scoreboard too. “Wow”, she said. “These judges are tough.”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “What’s going to happen?”

“It’ll be good enough for silver”, the woman said, as she squinted to read the scoreboard. “Hey! You’re Cooper Lochte! Will you take a picture with me and my daughter?”

Cooper still wasn’t used to people recognizing him. “Yeah, of course!”, he said, and happily posed for the picture.

***

Back home in Baltimore, Michael, Ryan, and Tessa were sitting on the couch in the living room, flipping through the television channels and trying to decide what to watch. They remembered that Figure Skating was on and Michael flipped the channel over to NBC just in time to see Kat receiving her medal.

“…this young lady and her coach recently relocated to Baltimore, which is home to many past and current Olympians, particularly swimmers”, the announcer was saying. “World Record holder in the 800 meter freestyle, Cooper Lochte is a Baltimore resident, and Michael Phelps’ son. He was spotted in the stands this evening” The feed switched to crowd shots, and showed Cooper sitting in the stands laughing and talking with fans.

“Skiing in Vermont”, Ryan said, rolling his eyes. “I’m calling him.” He got up and walked into the kitchen to retrieve his phone.

Michael followed him and put his hand on Ryan’s arm. “Wait, Ry”, he said. “Let’s wait til he gets home. We’ll deal with it then.”

“He’s my kid, Mike”, Ryan said. “and he left the fucking country without telling me. This is serious.”

“He’s my kid too”, Michael said. “and I think we need to wait until we know what’s going on.”

“Yeah but you’re not his real dad”, Ryan snapped. 

Michael’s face went white. His heart dropped to his stomach. He stared at Ryan for a moment, then turned around and snatched his keys off of the counter before storming out.

Ryan felt like he had been punched in the stomach, so he couldn't imagine how Michael felt. “Mike”, he called out weakly. Michael didn’t reply.

Michael climbed into his car and began to drive. Ryan’s words played over and over again in his head. Each time he pictured the look on his face and heard the hurtful words Ryan had said, it felt like another punch in the stomach. It made him feel sick. He turned into a parking lot, pulled into a space, and turned off the car. He leaned back in his seat and took several deep breaths. When he felt a little better, he got out of the car and walked into the store. He bought a snack and a bottle of water, then went back out to the car and drove to his house in the city. They usually used it for out of town guests or rented it out to travelers. Since it was empty that night, Michael decided to sleep there.

He unlocked the door, went inside and into the living room. He sat down on the couch and drank his water and ate his snack. He turned on the TV and kept seeing the NBC footage of Cooper in the stands. Every time he saw it, it reminded him of the fight with Ryan, if that’s even what it was. Every time he heard Ryan’s words replay in his head, he felt worse. He looked down at his phone sitting on the coffee table and saw a message from Ryan.

**Ryan [9:45 PM]:** come home

Michael stared at it so long, his vision went blurry. He waited for a little while longer, then took a deep breath before replying.

**Michael [9:55 PM]:** staying in the city tonight.

**Ryan [9:57 PM]:** What should I tell Tessa?

**Michael [10:00 PM]:** Tell her that the fake dad went out.

**Ryan [10:03 PM]:** Thats not what i meant and u know it

**Michael [10:05 PM]:** don’t care what u meant. u hurt me ry

**Ryan [10:06 PM]:** i know. i’m sorry. sometimes I speak b4 I think. oops?

and then… **Ryan [10:06 PM]:** love u

**Michael [10:08 PM]:** Love u 2. just need some time alone.

Michael went upstairs to the bedroom and crawled into bed. Even with the heat turned up high, he felt cold. He missed Ryan. He curled up with his heavy blankets and tried to fall asleep.

He woke up several hours later to a finger lightly brushing against the raised veins in his arm.

“Hey”, Ryan said.

Michael opened his eyes and turned over to face Ryan. “Hey”, he replied.

“I’m sorry, baby”, Ryan said softly as he crawled into bed next to Michael.

Michael buried his face in Ryan’s shoulder. “I love you”, he said.

“I love you more”, Ryan said.

“Did you talk to Coop?”, Michael mumbled sleepily.

Ryan shook his head. “No”, he said. “You were right. We should wait until he gets home. When he gets back, we’ll lecture the little fucker together.”

Michael giggled. “‘kay”, he said. “Where’s Tessa?”

“With Allie”, Ryan replied. “brought her over there right before I came here.”

“We owe her”, Michael said. “She’s been putting up with me and my crap for such a long time.”

“We’ll make it up to her”, Ryan replied.

Michael nodded and snuggled closer to Ryan. “baby”, he whispered.

Ryan clasped his hand over Michael’s hip. “You’re a good dad, MP”, he said. “and you’re very real.”

Michael kissed Ryan’s shoulder. “You were right though”, he said. “Not really his dad”   
“I never shoulda said that, Mike”, Ryan said. “You’re not his biological dad, but that don’t matter.”

“I’m not Tessa’s biological dad either”, Michael pointed out. “I’m nothin’”

“Not true, MP”, Ryan said, lightly smacking Michael’s stomach. “You’re kind and smart. You’re an amazing dad and husband. You’re very important to our family. And you’re sexy, and really, really good at blowing me.”

Michael leaned over and kissed Ryan. “Thank you”, he said.

“Anyway, I’m sorry”, Ryan said. “I never shoulda said what I said, but I was upset and frustrated and I said things I didn’t mean.”

Michael yawned and ran his fingertips up and down Ryan’s arm. “S’ok, Ry”, he said sleepily.

“Wanna get naked?”, Ryan asked, and Michael could hear the smile in his voice.

Michael rolled his eyes. “So romantic”, he said.

“Is that a yes?”, Ryan asked.

“Fuck jeah”, Michael replied.

 

***

 

Michael rested his head on Ryan’s chest. Ryan wrapped his arm protectively around Michael.

“I’m sorry I’m such a psycho”, Michael said.

Ryan smiled and held Michael even closer. “You’re my psycho”, he said gently.

“You’re my everything”, Michael replied softly.

Michael and Ryan stayed intertwined for the rest of the night. They woke up the next morning to the sun streaming through the windows. 

Ryan pinched at Michael’s hip. “Morning”, he said softly. “Feeling better?”

“Foot cramp”, Michael replied, as he eased his foot out from underneath Ryan.

Ryan giggled. “Way to kill the mood”, he said.

Michael planted a kiss on Ryan’s lips. “Love you”, he said.

“Love you too”, Ryan said. “We good?”

Michael kissed Ryan’s shoulder. “I mean, I guess”, he said. “I just wish…” His voice trailed off.

“Go on”, Ryan urged gently. “It’s okay.”

Michael swallowed. “I wish…”, he said. “I’m sorry. I just… I just need to say this.”

“Say what?”, Ryan asked gently. “Mike, talk to me. What’s on your mind?”

“I wish I meant more to people”, Michael said. “I’m scared of not being enough for you, or for my mom, for the kids… for Allie, or anyone.”

“You are enough, Michael”, Ryan said. “You are. You’re an amazing husband, father, friend, son, and brother. We’re all so lucky to have you. You’re not just enough, Michael. You’re the world. You’re my world.”

“I’ve been going to therapy again”, Michael said out of the blue. 

“Baby, did you hear what I just said?’, Ryan asked. “It’s important to me that you know how special and important you are.”

“I heard you”, Michael said. “and I love you. I’m the lucky one, Ryan. I don’t know where I’d be without all of you.”

“I’m glad you’re going to therapy”, Ryan said. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Ry”, Michael said.

“Do you want to go home?”, Ryan asked. “We can talk about how to deal with our son.”

Michael looked at the ceiling and smiled. “Yeah”, he said. “Just need to find pants.”

Ryan laughed. “You can be naked for as long as you want”, he said. “I don’t mind.”

Michael smacked Ryan’s ass and laughed. “We can be naked again later”, he said.

“Sounds like a plan”, Ryan replied, pulling Michael closer to him and kissing his neck.

After they got dressed, they went down to the garage to get the cars. “So I’ll meet you at home?”, Ryan asked.

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I’ll go to Al’s to pick up Tessa, then I’ll come right home.”

“Great”, Ryan said. “I’ll see you soon, then.”

Michael smiled weakly and climbed into his car. “Bye”, he said.

Ryan sensed his discomfort. “Mike, you sure you’re okay?”, he asked.

Michael swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. Great.”, he said.

“‘kay”, Ryan said, not entirely convinced.

***

Michael drove to Allison’s house. When he arrived, she answered the door, holding Derek on her hip.

“Hey, Beautiful”, he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. “And Hi Derek!”, he said. pinching he little boy’s cheek.

“Come on in, honey”, Allison said, ushering Michael into her house. She went into the dining room and put Derek in his playpen. “Coffee?”

Michael nodded. “Please”, he said. “Thanks, Al.”

“Coming right up!”, she said as she poured them each some coffee from the freshly-brewed pot.

Michael smiled at her. “Smells great”, he said.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”, Allison asked, as she handed him the mug. She had that look on her face that told Michael that she wasn’t going to let this go. She may have been a few years younger, but she more often than not, she acted like an older sister. Or a second mom.

“Not a big deal”, Michael said with a shrug.

Allison studied him as they both sat down. “It is a big deal, Mike”, she said. “You ran out on your husband last night. That’s huge. What did you fight about?”

“I’m fine, Al”, Michael assured her. “He said something about me not being Cooper’s real dad. It was weird last night, but we talked. It’s fine.”

“One night of talking isn’t enough, sweetie”, Allison said. “It sounds like you and Ryan have a lot to talk about.”

“I’m fine”, Michael said again.

“You’re not fine”, Allison said, with concern in her voice. “Have you thought about therapy?”

Michael nodded. “I started going again last summer”, he said.

“No, I know that”, Allison said. “I mean couples’ therapy. For you and Ryan.”

Michael shook his head. “I can’t ask Ry to…”, he began.

Allison reached across the table and touched Michael’s arm. She rubbed her thumb up and down his wrist, and then linked her thumb with his. “If Ryan really loves you, which I know he does, you have to trust that he’ll at least consider it for you.”

“I guess”, Michael said.

“So many people love you, sweetie”, she said. “We all want you to be okay. I know things have been hard for you, and most of the time you seem like you’re doing okay, but sometimes, like right now, it seems like things get bad again.”

Michael had been staring at the table, unable to meet her eyes. He finally looked up. “I’m okay, Allie”, he said. “I really am.”

Tessa ran into the room and hugged Michael. “Dad!”, she exclaimed. “You’re here!”

Michael smiled and his heart melted at his daughter’s excitement. He pulled her into his lap. “I sure am, honey”, he said. “Did you have fun with Auntie Allie?”

“Uh huh”, Tessa said. “Uncle Chris let me taste some cake before he went to work today!”

“Chris is catering a wedding today”, Allison explained.

“He did?”, Michael exclaimed. “How was it? Was it yummy?”

Tessa nodded. “Daaaaaad. Everything Uncle Chris makes is yummy”, she replied, as if Michael were simple.

“She’s right”, Allison said with a smile.

“It’s true”, Michael said. “Uncle Chris makes a lot of yummy things.”

“Uncle Chris likes to ruin people’s diets”, Allison said with a grin, as she patted her stomach.

Michael rolled his eyes. “Please, Al”, he said. “You’re beautiful.”

Allison smiled. “Definitely not in the shape I was when we were competing”, she said.

“You look great”, Michael said. “After having a kid, and being married to an award-winning chef, and you still look like a supermodel.”

“Oh okay, now you’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll watch your kids more often”, Allison said making a face at him.

“Sorry Al…”, Michael began.

“Mike, I was kidding”, Allison said. “I love your kids like my own. You know that.”

Michael finally laughed. “I know you are”, he said. “But you are beautiful. I wasn’t just trying to butter you up.”

Allison smiled. “Thanks Mike”, she said. “You’re so good to me. And I appreciate the compliment.”

“You’re really good to me too”, Michael said. “I can’t tell you how much your support means to me.”

Allison shrugged. “Anything for you”, she said. “I mean it.”

Tessa was sitting in Michael’s lap patiently waiting for her turn to speak. “Other Dad said you were sad”, she said. “Are you okay?”

Michael smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I am”, he said. “Thank you, honey.”

“Is Cooper in trouble for going to Canada?”, Tessa asked.

Michael and Allison exchanged a glance and laughed. “There are worse things that a seventeen year old boy could be doing”, Allison said.

“Dad and I will figure out what to do about your brother when he comes home”, Michael said. “Let’s go. But first, what do you say to Auntie Allie?”

Tessa climbed off of Michael’s lap and went over to where Allison was sitting. “Thanks, Auntie Allie!”, she said. “It was fun!”

Allison hugged Tessa. “You’re welcome”, she said. “Uncle Chris and I always have fun with you. Uncle Chris loves giving you samples. He calls you his little taste-tester.”

Tessa giggled. “I like that job”, she said.

“I want that job”, Michael added.

Michael and Tessa started out the door, and Michael turned to Allison. “Thanks again Allie”, he said. “Really. I appreciate it so much.”

“No Problem, Babe”, she said. “Think about what I said, okay?”

Michael nodded. “I will”, he said. “Thanks.”

Allison rubbed his back as he walked out. “Love you”, she said.

Michael smiled. “Love you too”, he replied.


	19. Chapter 19

Cooper and Kat were sitting on the bed in her hotel room. The room was mostly dark, except for the soft glow of light on the nightstand next to the bed.

Kat reached over and touched Cooper’s leg. “I’m really glad you’re here, Coop”, she said.

Cooper put his hand on top of hers and laced their fingers together. “Me too”, he said. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d wanna come”, she said.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d ever wanna talk to me again”, Cooper said. 

Kat drew a shaky breath. “I kinda freaked out”, she said. “Thinking I was pregnant, then finding out it was a false alarm, really liking you, but being scared an’ stuff. I’m sorry, Coop.”

Cooper shook his head. “S’ok”, he said. “Really.”

“Okay”, Kat said. “Good.”

“So, you weren’t pregnant?”, Cooper asked, finally realizing what Kat had said. 

Kat shook her head. “False alarm”, she said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”, Cooper asked. “I was really worried about you, and I didn’t know what you were going to do, and I was… I don’t know. I just wish I had known.”

Kat shrugged. “I was still upset about everything, and I…”, she began. “I don’t know. Not really sure what I was thinking. I wasn’t in a good place, and I was afraid that you were mad, and I…”

“Kat”, Cooper began. “Maybe I was mad then, but…”

“Are you still mad now?”, Kat asked.

Cooper smiled and leaned over to kiss her neck. “Not mad”, he said. 

“Okay”, Kat said. “Good.”

“Do you want some of the wine I bought?”, Cooper asked.

“You brought wine?”, asked. “How did you…?”

“Didn’t ask for ID”, Cooper said. “I have a fake one just in case, though.”

“Oh”, Kat said.

“I’ll be legal most countries soon anyway”, Cooper said. “Almost 18.”

“Yeah”, Kat said. “But at home…”

“Four more years”, Cooper replied. 

“Do you drink a lot, Coop?”, Kat asked, concerned.

Cooper shrugged. “Not a lot”, he lied. “I mean, sometimes… but like… No. I don’t drink a lot. Occasionally.”

Kat nodded. “Okay”, she said.

“But yeah. I bought wine at the place next door right after I got here”, Cooper said.

“Let’s have some”, Kat said.

“Okay”, Cooper said, as he moved to get off the bed.

“I’ll get it”, Kat said. “Is it in your bag?”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I think I put it in the front compartment.”

Kat stood up, and stripped down to her underwear, leaving her jeans and t-shirt in a heap on the floor. She smiled at Cooper, then went over to the table where Cooper had set down his bag. She unzipped it and reached for the bottle. In doing so, the box of condoms fell out. Kat looked at it for a second. “Cooper”, she said.

“Need help?”, Cooper asked. Then he saw what she was holding. “Oh.”

Kat looked at him carefully. “Did you think something was gonna happen tonight?”, she asked quietly.

Cooper looked down and focused on playing with a loose thread on the blanket. “I didn’t…”, he began.

“Did you want it to?”, Kat asked, as a smile began to form at her lips.

Cooper shrugged. “Dunno”, he said. “Not really sure what I want.”

“Okay”, Kat said, as she poured some wine into two of the hotel supplied plastic cups. “Let’s drink while you think about it.”

Cooper smiled and shrugged. “Okay”, he said.

As the night went on, they drank more and more. The more they kissed, the more clothes came off, and the deeper the kisses got.

“Kat?”, Cooper asked.

“Yeah?”, Kat asked.

“Do you want…”, Cooper began. “I mean… would it be okay with you if we….?”

Kat smiled and kissed him again. “Yeah”, she said. “Yeah. Let’s… yeah.”

“Okay”, Cooper said. He stood up to retrieve the box from his suitcase. It’s not like it hadn’t happened before. This time just felt different. Their clothes were in a heap by the side of the bed. Cooper carefully tore open the foil wrapper, and carefully slid the condom over his dick. He laid down next to Kat again. “You sure this is what you want, sweetie?”

Kat deepened the kiss. “Yeah”, she said. “For sure.”

There was no turning back now. Cooper let himself enter her, and in doing so, she let out a small noise. “You okay?”, he asked, holding her protectively.

“Uh huh”, Kat said. She dug her nails into Cooper’s back, and nestled her head into his shoulder as he thrusted. 

 

***

Cooper and Kat woke up to the next morning, tangled up in the sheets. Cooper was holding her close to him, and as he felt her breathing so close to him, he didn’t ever want to let go. He was still convinced that this was all part of a dream. The condom wrapper was next to the empty bottle of wine and used cups. Cooper pulled her closer to him and gave her a kiss. He took in the smell of her, and felt her next to him, warm skin on warm skin, and he knew that it wasn’t a dream. He was there with her, and he didn’t want the moment to end.

“Hey”, Cooper said quietly.

“Hey”, Kat replied sleepily.

Cooper looked that the clock on the nightstand, and realized that he had to leave soon if he had any hope of making it back home in a reasonable amount of time. If he wanted to keep up his story about being in Vermont, he had to be home when he said he would be. As far as he knew, Michael and Ryan didn’t know that he wasn’t actually in Vermont. He got out of bed and put his clothes on, and packed up a few things that he had left around the room. He started to throw away the trash from the night before.

“What’s up?”, Kat asked, her voice thick with sleep. “What are you doing?”

“I gotta go”, Cooper said sadly. 

“I wish you could stay”, Kat said, still not quite awake. “Don’t go.”

“Long drive”, Cooper said. “Sorry, baby. I don’t want to leave either. I want to lie here all day with you.”

“Yeah”, Kat said. “Can we talk about all of this when I get back to Baltimore?”

“Definitely”, Cooper said.

“Cool”, Kat said. “Bye, Coop.”

Cooper leaned down and kissed her. “Bye”, he said softly, then picked up his suitcase.

“Cooper”, Kat called out, as Cooper was about to leave.

He turned around. “Yeah?”, he asked.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?”, she said. “I don’t want to be just another…”

Cooper smiled softly at her. “Never”, he said. “I love you, Katarina.”

Kat smiled from her spot on the bed. “Cooper”, she said, shaking her head, as she leaned back and closed her eyes to sleep for a little while longer

Cooper smiled back. “Bye”, he said and exited the room. He stopped in the hallway for a moment on the other side of the closed door, and smiled softly to himself. He thought about everything that had happened that weekend, and hoped that it meant good things were to come. He stayed rooted to that spot, the smile still on his face, as the beautiful girl of his dreams slept sweetly on the other side of the door.

Kat open her eyes again and watched him go, and when the door clicked closed, she sank back down onto the pillows to catch a little more sleep before she had to get ready for the closing ceremonies later that day.

Cooper drove home feeling both happy and uncertain. He had a great weekend with Kat and he really wanted to make things work with her. He loved her, that much he knew, and he wanted to get back together with her. He just wasn’t sure if the events of the weekend meant that they actually were back together, or if it was just a one time thing.

He continued to drive, and hit some traffic and ran into a little bit of snow near the USA-Canada border. He was tired, but he kept going. When he felt like he needed a break, he pulled into a rest stop for lunch. On his way out, he bought a cup of coffee to help him stay awake on his drive home, then continued on with the drive back to Baltimore.

It was close to 8 PM when he drove up his street and parked in the driveway. It was pretty close to the time that he told Ryan and Michael that he’d be home from Vermont, so he figured that he was in the clear. If only he knew what was going to happen when he went into the kitchen. 

When he opened the door, Michael and Ryan were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for him. They had been talking about what to do about Cooper, and how to punish him. To their knowledge, he hadn’t done anything illegal - they didn’t know about the drinking - but he had lied, and needed to know that it was wrong. They had a pretty good idea of how they wanted to punish him, but were waiting for him to get home first. Once they had the details of what happened, they’d go from there with the punishment.

Cooper saw them sitting at the table when he walked into the kitchen. “Hey guys”, he said.

“Hi Coop”, Ryan said. “How was your trip?”

“Great”, Cooper said. “Had lotsa fun.”

“Yeah?”, Michael asked, playing along. “You a winter sport guy now?”

Cooper laughed. “Well…No. But it was fun”, he said. “Didn’t ski, because I’m pretty clumsy and I’d probably hurt myself even getting on the chair lift, never mind going down a mountain. I just hung out in the lodge and stuff. Hung out with Luke and the other guys when they weren’t out on the mountain. Watched other people ski. Hung out in the hot tub, drank hot cocoa. That kind of stuff.”

Michael nodded. “Sounds great”, he said. He was trying to be subtle, with the hope that Cooper would crack under pressure and tell the truth. “Sounds like a really fun time.”

Ryan was less subtle. “Toronto fun?”, he asked without missing a beat.

“Uh-huh, Great”, Cooper said, not realizing at first what Ryan had said. And then. “Wait. What?”

Michael and Ryan looked at each other. “We know you went to Canada”, Michael said said gently.

“How did you…?”, Cooper asked. “Who told?”

“NBC”, Ryan replied.

“What?”, Cooper asked faintly.

“Well, Cooper”, Michael began. “You may not realize this, but when an Olympian, such as yourself, appears at another Olympic event, or the families or significant others of the athletes are in the stands it gets on the news. The media loves that stuff.”

“Oh”, Cooper said.

“Yeah”, Michael said. “Look at old NBC footage of me sometime. Gramma Debs, Aunt Hilary, and Aunt Whitney are everywhere. NBC went crazy over my family.”

“Everyone loves Debs”, Ryan replied. 

“It’s true”, Michael said with a nod. “Debs is the best.”

“I agree”, Cooper said. “Everyone loves Gramma.”

“So, Why did you lie to us?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Dunno”, he said.

“Did you go to see Kat?”, Michael asked, keeping the same gentle tone.

Cooper looked up and smiled. He nodded. “Yeah”, he said softly.

“Are you back together with her?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper shrugged again. “Dunno”, he said.

“Are you going to say more than one word at a time?”, Ryan asked with a smirk.

Cooper took a deep breath. “Okay, so like, I was sneakin’ into her practices for a few weeks because I’d been thinkin’ about her and stuff and I wanted to see her”, he said. “So like, one day when I was walking out of the building, she caught me. We kissed. We talked a bit. She sent me tickets to her Olympic events. I wanted to see her skate, so I went. I met her at her hotel, went to her event and then stayed in her room. End of story.”

“Okay…”, Michael said.

“Cooper”, Ryan began. “Did you…?”

“Ew, Dad. Stop”, Cooper said, rolling his eyes.

“Cooper Steven”, Ryan said sternly.

“Yeah”, Cooper said, rolling his eyes again. “We fucked. It’s… whatever.”

“Language, Cooper”, Ryan warned. “And don’t roll your eyes. It’s rude, and you never know, your eyes might stick like that.”

“Sorry”, Cooper said, trying not to laugh at Ryan’s obvious exaggeration.

“Are you being safe?”, Ryan asked, his voice softening. “That’s the important thing here.”

“Yes”, Cooper said, sounding exasperated.

“And you’re being good to her?”, Michael asked kindly. “Dad and I want you to be the kind of man who takes care of the person you’re dating.”

Cooper’s expression softened. “Yeah of course”, he said. “I love Kat. I’d never wanna hurt her.”

“You love her?”, Michael asked.

Cooper smiled. “Yeah. I do”, he said. “I hate that I lost her the first time. I want to get back together with her and keep her.”

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance and smiled. “You’re a good kid, Coop”, Ryan said.

“So, can I ask what happened with everything that went down when you broke up?”, Michael asked.

Cooper sighed. “Yeah”, he said. “When she thought she was pregnant it was a false alarm. She didn’t want to tell me because she was embarrassed or whatever. She asked if I was still mad.”

“Are you?”, Ryan asked. 

Cooper shook his head. “Not anymore”, he said. “I guess I was more sad than mad anyway, but I’m not upset anymore. She’s my girl and I want her back.”

Michael and Ryan exchanged another glance. “Aw, Coop”, Michael said.

“Sorry, was that too sappy?”, Cooper asked.

“Nah”, Michael said. “Dad and I love you, kiddo. Kat would be lucky to be with you. She’s crazy if she doesn’t take you back.”

Cooper smiled. “Aw, thanks guys”, he said. “So… how much trouble am I in?”

Ryan smiled. “First question”, Ryan said. “Do you promise that you and Kat were safe this time?”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “We were. I’m not gonna make that mistake again. I think I want to be a dad someday, but like… not now. Not for a while. And she’s on the pill and stuff, so like, yeah. We’re good.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay. Good.” he said. “Here’s what were going to do. You didn’t do anything wrong, exactly. Nothing illegal, anyway. Right?”

Cooper nodded. “Right”, he said.

“Good”, Ryan said. “But you did lie to us, and that’s not okay. So, you’re grounded for a month, and you’re going to scratch the Orlando meet. Sound fair?”

Cooper made a face and was about to protest. “Yeah, Okay”, he said. “I’m sorry.”

Michael and Ryan nodded. “It’s okay, bud”, Ryan said.

“So, her routine looked good”, Michael said. “She’s an incredibly talented young lady. Works hard.”

Cooper nodded. “She is. she shoulda got the gold”, he said.

Michael nodded. “Tough judges”, he said.

“That’s for sure”, Cooper replied. “She did well though. It was good to see her. Met some nice fans in the stands too.”

“Well, it sounds like a good trip”, Ryan said. “You should have just told us. We’d have let you go if we had known, you know. You didn’t have to lie.”

“I know that now”, Cooper said. “I’m sorry.”

Ryan smiled. “It’s okay, kid”, he said. “Just… don’t sneak off to Canada again without telling us. You’re almost an adult, but we still like to know where you are, where you’re going, and who you’re doing it with.”

“Okay”, Cooper said. “Sorry again”

Michael laughed. “That’s enough apologies for one night”, he said. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Okay”, Cooper said, giving each of them a hug. “I love you guys.”

“Love you too, Kid”, Michael said.

“Love you, Coop”, Ryan said.

Cooper carried his luggage up to his room. “See ya”, he said with a smile. “Gonna go unpack and shower and stuff.”

“Okay”, Michael said. “Did you eat on the way home?”

“Had a late lunch at a rest stop”, Cooper said. “But I didn’t have time to stop for dinner so, I’m still a little hungry.”

“Come on down after your shower”, Ryan said. “We’ll heat something up for you.”

“Cool”, Cooper said. “Be right back.”

Ryan turned to Michael and smiled. He squeezed his arm. “See?”, he said. “You’re loved.”

Michael closed his eyes for a moment, then looked back at Ryan. He took a deep, shaky breath. “I think we should go to marriage counseling”, he said so quietly that Ryan barely heard him.


	20. Chapter 20

“Counseling?”, Ryan repeated. “I… Mike. I… thought we were doing okay.”

“No, we are”, Michael said quickly. “But I really want to avoid another incident like the other night’s fight. Maybe if we can get some help, it will prevent that stuff.”

Ryan nodded. “If you think it will be good for us, let’s try it”, he said.

“Okay”, Michael said. “I’ll talk to Dr. Moseley during my session after work tomorrow. Maybe she can do it, or refer us to someone.”

“Yeah”, Ryan said. “Okay. Yeah. That’s good.”

“Mad at me?”, Michael asked softly. His hands were shaking, and Ryan wanted to grab them and steady them. 

Ryan gently touched Michael’s shaking hand. “Of course not, honey”, he said. “I’ll do anything if it helps you. We’re a team.”

Cooper came back downstairs while they were talking. “Hey guys”, he said. “Am I interrupting?”

Michael shook his head. “Nope”, he said. “Want some dinner?”

Cooper grinned. “Sure”, he said. “What do we have?”

“There’s pulled pork, green beans, and mashed potatoes in the fridge”, Ryan said. “Corn bread on the counter.”

“Yum”, Cooper replied. “Sounds great.”

“I think I’ll have some with you”, Ryan said. “Mike, do you want any?”

Michael dramatically patted his stomach and grinned. “I think I’ve hit my limit for today”, he said. “It was really good, but I’m still so full. And I ate two pieces of cake at Allie’s. I’ll probably burst if I try to eat anything else.”

“Suit yourself”, Ryan said with a smile and a shrug. “More for me and Coop.”

Michael forced himself to smile. “Enjoy”, he said, as he picked up a piece of cornbread. “Okay. One piece of cornbread.”

Ryan laughed. “I knew you’d give in”, he said.

Michael smiled. “Yeah”, he said. “It was yummy. I… I’m going to go lay down for a while.”

Ryan looked concerned. “You okay?”, he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good”, Michael said. “Just tired. Long day. I’ll see you upstairs?”

“Sure”, Ryan said as he sat down to eat with Cooper.

Cooper and Ryan at their leftovers and chatted. “Mike okay?”, Cooper asked.

Ryan watched Michael go up the stairs. “I think so”, he said. “I think he’s just tired.”

Cooper nodded. “Good”, he said. “So…”

“So, it sounds like you had a lot of fun”, Ryan said, hoping to get Cooper talking.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Kat is… great. It was nice to spend time with her again.”

“Do you think you two will get back together?”, Ryan asked.

“I want to”, Cooper said. “We’re going to talk about everything when she gets home from Toronto.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay”, he said.

“Thanks for dinner, Dad”, Cooper said. “I’m gonna head upstairs now”

Ryan smiled and started to clean up. “Okay”, he said. 

When Ryan finished cleaning, he was about to go upstairs to join Michael in bed and Michael came down to meet him. “Hey”, he said.

“Hey, babe”, Ryan said. “You okay?”

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “So, you sure you’re not mad at me?”

“Not mad”, Ryan said gently.

“You sure?”, Michael asked again.

“Mike, I’m not mad”, Ryan said again. “If you think marriage counseling is something that we need, I want to support you.”

Michael nodded. “I want to try it”, he said. “Allie thinks it will help us.”

“You talked to Allie about this?”, Ryan asked.

“I talk to Allie about everything”, Michael said. “And she’s a psychologist, so she’s an expert at this stuff. Are you upset that I talked to her? She’s my best friend and she always helps me with stuff and…”

Ryan shook his head. “Not upset”, he said. “You’re my husband and I wish you had talked to me, but I’m not upset that you talked to Allie. I know how special the bond you two have is. I know how much she helps you with things. No, really. It’s okay.”

“You sure?”, Michael asked, reaching out to touch Ryan’s arm.

“Yup”, Ryan said. “Everything’s cool.”

Michael nodded. “Okay”, he said. “Okay good. So…marriage counseling. What do you think?”

“Okay”, Ryan said. “Let’s do it.”

“Good”, Michael said. 

“Yeah”, Ryan said. “Good.”

“So… Tessa is asleep”, Michael said coyly.

“Cooper is in his room”, Ryan replied with a smile.

“Wanna go upstairs?”, Michael asked hopefully.

Ryan grabbed Michael’s ass. “Let’s go”, he said.

Michael and Ryan went up to their room and began to undress. Ryan laid down on the bed and watched Michael take off his shirt and slip off his jeans.

“So hot”, Ryan said, his gaze scanning the length of Michael’s long, lean frame. Michael always looked good, but in the past few months he had been extra careful about what he ate, and was working out more. Ryan noticed that he seemed happier and healthier. His individual therapy had been going well, and he seemed calmer. He looked so happy and healthy. That just made Ryan want him more.

Michael blushed. “Thank you, baby”, he said.

“Get over here”, Ryan said, his grin widening.

Michael smiled and nodded and climbed into bed with Ryan. “Hi”, he said quietly. 

Ryan wrapped an arm around Michael and pulled him close. He wrapped his other arm around him and grabbed his ass. Michael was pressed against Ryan and had his hand on the nape of Ryan’s neck. He ran his fingers through Ryan’s curls. “I like it when you let your hair grow out”, he said.

“It’s getting crazy”, Ryan said.

“I like crazy”, Michael said.

Ryan dragged his teeth along Michael’s collarbone, then ran his tongue in the deep indents of his shoulder blade. When they broke apart, Ryan continued to let his mouth wander all the way down Michael’s long torso. He licked Michael’s hard stomach and the ripple of muscle. “You taste good”, he said. 

Michael groaned. Ryan’s movements and the feeling of his mouth caused his body to buckle and his hips to jump off the bed. Ryan gripped Michael’s hips and gently pressed him back down onto the bed. He stroked the tattoos below the jut of bone then went back to mouthing at the bare skin. Ryan had worked his way all the way down Michael’s body, which was now glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. With his hands still on his hips, he took Michael’s rock hard dick into his mouth.

“Ry”, Michael groaned, as Ryan finished by swirling his tongue around the tip.

“Good?”, Ryan asked.

“Oh yeah”, Michael replied, as he ran his fingers through the tangles of Ryan’s hair.

“I like making you feel good”, Ryan said, as he reached over to retrieve the bottle of lube from the nightstand. He opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid into his hand. With a firm motion, he stuck a finger into Michael’s ass, then added a second finger. Michael began to relax, and Ryan let himself enter Michael. Michael’s gasps got louder with each thrust, and his breath was hollow and ragged.

“Fuck, baby”, Michael said softly.

“Oh yeah”, Ryan replied.

“Fucking hell”, Michael cried out.

Ryan took that has a sign to continue and his firm motions sent Michael over the edge and he came.

“That was good”, Michael said, as his breathing returned to normal.

“I can tell”, Ryan replied.

“I love you, Ry”, Michael said.

“Yeah, same”, Ryan replied with a grin. “Gonna get some water. You want?”

Michael yawned. “Nah”, he said. “No thanks.”

Ryan went into the bathroom to get a drink of water. When he came back, Michael was curled up under the covers. His eyes were closed. Ryan crawled into bed and curled up next to him. He pressed against Michael and draped his arm over Michael and rubbed his stomach.

“Ry”, Michael said softly.

“Did I wear you out?”, Ryan asked.

“Sleepy”, Michael replied.

“I’m good”, Ryan said, still with the ridiculous grin spread across his face. “I fucked you right to sleep.”

Michael yawned. He closed his eyes briefly, then rolled over to face Ryan and smiled up at him. “Yep”, he said.

Ryan ran his thumb up and down Michael’s cheek bone, feeling the stubble from a few days of not shaving. “I like it when you forget to shave.”

“Not too crazy?”, Michael asked. 

“Never”, Ryan said softly, as he pulled the blankets over both of them. “Love you”

Michael grinned and pressed his lips against Ryan’s. “Love sleep”, he said. His voice was thick with sleep, and his eyelids were getting heavy. “And you.”

 

***

 

Over the next few weeks, Cooper trained hard. He was still grounded so he wasn’t spending time with his friends. He went to school, to the pool, and home. He was swimming well, getting good grades, and trying to make the best of the situation. He had been texting Kat, and promised that when he wasn’t grounded anymore, he’d go with her to hold her hand while she got her Olympic Rings tattoo. By the end of March, they were officially back together.

About a week after his grounding was up, he picked Kat up after school and took her to the tattoo parlor. “So where are you gonna get it?”, he asked.

“Ribcage”, Kat replied. 

“Hot”, Cooper said.

Kat winked. “That’s the idea”, she said.

Inside the tattoo parlor, Kat lifted her shirt so the artist could prepare her skin. Cooper noticed something new on Kat’s body that he hadn’t seen last time. She had a new piercing. He eyed the silver studs on her hips. “Damn”, he said.

“Dermals”, Kat asked. “You like? Got ‘em a few weeks ago.”

“Looks good”, Cooper said.

“Thanks”, Kat said. “Doing my belly button next. Then maybe another one in my ears.”

“Are you ready, Kat?”, the artist asked.

“Think so”, Kat said nervously. “Hold my hand Coop?”

“Of course”, Cooper said.

Kat cringed as the artist did his work. Cooper held her hand tightly. After it was over, Cooper drove her home and they went up to her bedroom. She lifted her shirt and looked in the mirror at her new tattoo.

“Looks great”, Coper said. “It’ll feel better when it heals.”

“Hope so”, Kat sat, as she fingered the red skin around her new tattoo. “Kinda hurts now.”

Cooper smiled. “Been there”, he said. “You’ll be fine. It’ll take a few days, but it’ll feel better. Just keep the area clean.”

Kat nodded. “Was I a big baby in the tattoo parlor?”, she asked, her face reddening.

Cooper smiled and shook his head. “Nah”, he said. “You did great. No tears. You were fine.”

Kat kissed him. “Thanks, Coop”, she said. “And thanks for coming today.”

“No problem”, he said. “I’ll do anything for you. You know that.”

“Do you want to stay and hang out for a while?”, Kat asked.

Cooper smiled. “I wish I could”, he said. “I should probably get going though. I have practice and a ton of homework.”

“Okay”, Kat said. “See ya later.”

Cooper drove to the pool for evening practice. He went into the locker room to change, then went out to the pool. He was mad about having to miss out on Orlando, but promised himself that he would do well in Mesa and throughout the rest of the season. He had two years to prepare for the Stockholm 2028 Olympics. He had a lot of goals that he wanted to accomplish and was determined to succeed. 

Michael gave him some sets to work on, then when he was done, he sent him to the weight room. When he finished everything, he poked his head into Michael’s office to say good bye to him and Allie. Michael and Allie were deep in conversation at Michael’s desk.

Allison looked up and saw Cooper. She gently touched Michael’s arm and gestured towards the door. “Hey Cooper”, she said. “What’s up?”

“Hey Allie”, he said. “I just wanted to say good night. See you at home, Mike.”

“I won't be home right away”, Michael said. “Can you help Dad get dinner ready?”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah sure”, he said.

Michael smiled. “Thanks kid”, he said. “You’re the best.”

“I’ll remember you said that!”, Cooper said with a wink, as he started to leave.

Michael made a face and shook his head. “Teenagers”, he said. “Bye Coop.”

When Cooper left, Allison turned to Michael. “You okay?”, she asked.

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “A little nervous. I need to talk to my doctor about Marriage Counseling for me and Ry.”

“I thought you already talked to her about that”, Allison said.

Michael shook his head. “Not yet”, he said. “Kept freaking out and putting it off.”

“And what about your medication?” Allison asked. “Are you on anything now?”

“I haven’t been taking anything for a while”, Michael said. “It’s been a few years. I had a weird reaction to the old stuff I was on and was getting sick a lot, so I stopped.”

“You should ask your doctor about starting something different”, Allison said. “It seems like you’re struggling again, and there’s a ton of new antidepressants out now. Maybe it will help.”

“I’ll think about it”, Michael said.

Allison nodded. “Good”, she said. “You’re gonna be okay, MP.”

“Trying”, Michael said. “Okay, I’m gonna go.”

“Good Luck”, Allison said. “Love you.”

“Love you too”, Michael replied. “Bye, Al”

 

***

Michael parked at the counseling center and went inside. He checked in for his appointment and waited.

His therapist, Dr. Moseley came out of her office to greet him. “Good evening, Michael”, she said. “How are you doing?”

“Okay”, Michael said. “A lot’s been going on.”

“Well, let’s go into my office to talk about it”, she said.

Michael sat followed her into her office and sat down in the chair facing her desk. When he opened his mouth to speak, he poured his heart out. He usually only talked about small things in his therapy sessions, but this time he felt different. He really wanted to get some things off of his chest. He talked about the kids and about Cooper lying about going to Canada. He talked about how the Cooper situation had led to the fight with Ryan. He talked about how much he loves Ryan and wants to make sure that they’re okay. He talked about their sex life, and how good Ryan made him feel. He talked about his nutrition and exercise and how healthy he felt. He talked about Allison and Chris and how much he valued their friendship. He talked about his mother and sisters and how important his family is to him. He talked about work and how proud he was of his swimmers. He talked about how happy he is with his life but that lately he’d been feeling sadder and more stressed than usual. He talked about Allison’s suggestion about Marriage counseling, and Ryan’s reaction to it. He mentioned that he was worried that he had hurt Ryan, but that he still really wanted to try it.

When he finished talking, Dr. Moseley had scheduled an appointment for him and Ryan to come back and talk to her for their first Marriage Counseling session. She also scheduled Michael’s next individual appointment, and gave him a new prescription for an anti-depressant to try.

Michael left her office feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He stopped by the pharmacy to fill his prescription that the doctor had called in for him that night. 

When he got home, he ate dinner with his family, cleaned the kitchen, then went for a long run. When he got back to the house, he took a shower, took his medication then climbed into bed with Ryan.

“How was therapy?”, Ryan asked.

“Good”, Michael said. “Talked about some stuff and got a new prescription. We’ll see if it helps.”

“Didn’t it make you sick last time?”, Ryan asked.

“New stuff”, Michael said. “Supposed to be better. Figured I’d try it.”

Ryan reached over and rubbed Michael’s stomach. “Good”, he said. “We need you to be healthy.”

“She set us up with an appointment for marriage counseling this Tuesday at six”, Michael said. “That okay?”

Ryan nodded. “Of course, babe”, he said. “Meet there after we both get out of work?”

“I’m not working as late as usual that night”, Michael said. “I thought I could come grab you here when I’m done and we can drive together.”

Ryan smiled. “That works too”, he said.

“Good”, Michael said.

“We’re going to be okay, right?” Ryan asked.

“Definitely”, Michael said. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I need to preserve that.”

“You’re amazing, MP”, Ryan said. “and I love you so damn much.”

“I love you more”, Michael said. “and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”


	21. Chapter 21

Michael picked up Ryan at home on their first night of marriage counseling. Cooper was going to take care of Tessa for the evening. Ryan had prepared one of the meals from their delivery service for them before he left. He gave Cooper some last minute instructions, told him about a special dessert from Chris and Allison in the refrigerator and left with Michael.

When they arrived at the counseling center, Dr. Moseley was there to greet them. “Hello, Michael”, she said. “How have you been since I last saw you?”

“I’m doing well”, Michael said. “So far no crazy side effects from the new meds. I think they’re helping. I feel really calm and alert, and I’ve been super productive at work and stuff.”

“Good”, Dr. Moseley said. “This must be Ryan.”

“Hi Dr. Moseley”, Ryan said, extending his hand to shake hers.

She led them into her office and the three of them sat down. They had a very productive conversation. Ryan and Michael talked while Dr. Moseley observed them and took notes. She told them that it was clear that they loved each other very much, but that she recommended that they work on their communication skills.

“Sometimes I feel like you don’t want my help with the kids, so you just take over”, Michael said.

“Sometimes I feel like you don’t want to help me”, Ryan replied. “Especially with Coop. You’re great with Tessa, but sometimes I feel like you only want to be involved with the swimming part of Cooper’s life.”

“That’s what I mean though”, Michael said. “I gave you my opinion about what we should do when Cooper lied to us, and you said that I’m not his real dad.”

“I already apologized for that”, Ryan exclaimed.

“I know”, Michael said quietly, as his voice began to shake. “And I thought we were good there, but now you’re saying that I don’t help you.”

“Communication”, Dr. Moseley reminded them gently.

Michael told Ryan that of course he wanted to help, but that he was afraid of stepping on Ryan’s toes or messing up somehow, especially after Ryan’s comment about not being Cooper’s real dad. Michael wanted nothing more than to be a good dad, and it scared him to feel like he wasn’t living up to that.

Dr. Moseley told them again how important communication is for a successful and healthy marriage. She asked them about their sex life and while they both said it was great, and that they liked to make each other feel good, they agreed that they wished they could have more time together being intimate.

She sent them on their way with an assignment for next time. Throughout each day, she wanted them to make a list of anything that came to mind that they wanted to talk about, that they hadn’t said out loud. She said that they should go over each other’s lists at bedtime and discuss things that they needed to.

They stopped for dinner on the way home and when they got back to the house, they settled in for a nice night with the kids.

After the kids were in bed, Michael and Ryan curled up together on the couch. Ryan kissed Michael. “You were right, MP”, he said. “I think that helped. We should keep doing it. At least for a little while.”

Michael kissed him back. “I think so too”, he said. “I love you, Ry.”

“I love you too”, Ryan said.

 

***

 

Michael and Ryan continued therapy. They went as a couple, and Michael went by himself. They had plenty of fights and misunderstandings, and they knew that they still had to work on their communication, but therapy gave them the tools they to help them work on those things.

Michael started spending more time with Cooper outside of the pool. He wanted to bond with him, which was one of the things that he had promised Ryan that he would try to work on. 

One night a week, after practice Michael and Cooper went out for dinner together, just the two of them. Their only rules were that they couldn't talk about swimming, and they both had to order at least one thing not on their diets. It was a fun tradition, and one that they both enjoyed.

“So, Coop”, Michael began over one of their dinners. “What are your plans for after high school?”

Cooper shrugged. “Dunno”, he said. “Training for Stockholm.”

Michael nodded. “Sure”, he said. “But what about college?”

“Don’t wanna go”, Cooper said as he shoveled another bite of chicken enchilada into his mouth. He pointed at the plate with his fork. “This is good.”

“Why not?”, Michael pressed.

Cooper shrugged again. “Wanna focus on swimmin’”, he said.

Michael considered this, and thought about his own past. “I wish I had gone to college”, he said. “Took a few classes when I trained at Michigan, but never got a degree. Wish I had.”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “I get that. It’s just… not what I want. I’ve been working my ass off. It’s stressful. High school on top of swimming is hard enough. I can’t deal with college classes and training next year. It’s too much all at once.”

Michael nodded. “I don’t want to pressure you”, he said. “And College isn’t for everyone. But you’re so smart. You do a lot better in school than I did at your age. You should at least consider taking a few classes.”

Cooper smiled. “I’ll think about it”, he said. “I don’t think it’s what I wanna do, but I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough”, Michael said. Then he smiled. “You want some more chips?”

Cooper grinned. “Yeah”, he said.

 

***

 

Over the summer, Cooper and Kat spent a lot of time together. Their relationship was the best it had ever been. Cooper was also putting in extra time at the pool and in the weight room. He got himself into the best shape he had ever been in. While at Pan Pacs in Australia, he won six gold medals and broke two world records.

Kat came along on the trip to Australia, because she and Cooper wanted to spend as much time as possible together before she was going to be leaving for her year long figure skating tour. She was taking a year off from school and traveling all over the country, and to a few international stops. Cooper promised to meet up with her as long as some of the stops were easy to get to and coincided with his school breaks or a long weekend.

He was getting ready to start his senior year. Ryan and Michael were still trying to convince him to at least consider a few college classes the following year. He promised to consider it, but was determined to focus on his swimming. 

After Cooper’s impressive summer, he was on everyone’s radar, even more so than he already was. He had done so well in Budapest and at Pan Pacs, so he was expected to do big things in Stockholm in two years.

Cooper started his senior year in high school. While his friends were making preparations for college, he continued to train hard to prepare for the Olympics, and of course the meets leading up to it.

At the end of September, Cooper flew to Chicago for a weekend to see one of Kat’s figure skating competitions. They had an amazing weekend together, and Cooper hated that he had to go home so soon. He promised to meet up with her again the next time he could make it work with his training and competition schedule.

Shortly after he got home, USA Swimming announced the nominees for the Golden Goggle awards. Cooper was nominated for race of the year for his record-breaking 400 IM at Pan Pacs, relay of the year for the men’s 4x100 medley relay at Pan Pacs, and Athlete of the Year. He was excited and honored, and looked forward to going to the ceremony with his family and teammates in New York at the end of November.

Ryan and Michael took him shopping for a suit to wear. They found the perfect one. It was a dark grey three-piece suit, that once it was tailored, fit him perfectly. He wore it with a blue shirt and a silver tie.

At the end of November, the whole family - Ryan, Michael, Tessa, Debbie, Bob, Whitney and her kids, Hilary, Doug, and their kids, Allison, Chris, Derek, and Ryan’s whole side of the family - all traveled to New York for the ceremony. Chris stayed in the hotel room with Derek and Tessa since it would be a long night for the little kids, but everyone else attended the ceremony.

Race of the year went to one of the open water swimmers. Relay of the year went to the Women’s 4x200 freestyle from Pan Pacs.

When Cooper was announced as the winner of the award for Male Athlete of the Year, the whole family, which took up four tables, all stood up to cheer. Cooper was sitting at a table with some of his teammates, and accepted their hugs and words of congratulations as he made his way to the stage to accept his award.

“Thank you”, Cooper said into the microphone. “This has been an amazing year, and first I want to congratulate all of my teammates on all of their accomplishments. I’m really proud of all of us. It was a great year. This year, I accomplished everything that I hoped to and more. I’m in a great place going into the next couple of years. There are so many people I want to thank, so I’ll try to make this quick. My two dads, one of whom is my coach, are both amazing men and I’m so proud to be their son. My grandparents: Debbie, Coach Bob, Ike, and Steve - thank you. My baby sister Tessa - I love you, kiddo. My aunts and uncles, and all of the cousins are all incredible. Plus, Allie, one of my first swimming instructors, who is now the nutritionist and psychologist for the elite team - Thank you for keeping me healthy, in mind and in body. Thanks for the meal plans that give me the energy I need, and are really healthy and delicious. Her husband Chris is a great friend to our family, part of our family, really. He’s an amazing chef and pretty much undoes everything Allie and I work on and ruins my diet with his amazing creations. I’m almost done, I swear.”

The crowd laughed, and waited for him to continue. He made eye contact with his family, and tried not to cry. Michael made eye contact with him and gave him a thumbs up.

“and finally, my best friend Luke - miss having you in the pool with me, bud. And my beautiful girlfriend, Kat. You guys are the best.”

Cooper had been in the spotlight since he was fifteen years old. Michael knew from personal experience how hard that could be on a young kid. Cooper had been getting more attention than ever since being spotted in Toronto, and even more after the success he had in Australia. Perhaps that’s when everything started to fall apart.


	22. Chapter 22

After the ceremony, Michael, Ryan, and the rest of the family went upstairs to their hotel rooms. Cooper went to his room to change in to more comfortable clothes, then went out to celebrate with his teammates.

“Have fun, bud”, Michael said.

“Thanks, Mike”, Cooper said.

“Be careful”, Michael added.

Cooper smiled and tried not to roll his eyes. “Yep”, he said. “I will.”

“Promise?”, Ryan asked.

“Promise”, Cooper replied.

“He’s a good kid”, Michael said. “He’ll be fine.”

Ryan smiled. “Yeah I know”, he said. “Have fun, Cooper.”

Here’s the thing. After the Toronto incident, Michael had explained to Cooper that the media loved to take pictures of Olympians at other Olympic events. What Michael didn’t think he had to explain to Cooper was that they also liked to take pictures of well-known athletes out and about, say, when an Olympian’s teammates buy him a lap dance at a strip club.

The pictures were all over TMZ by the next morning. Michael and Ryan couldn’t stop laughing. 

“Am I in trouble?”, Cooper asked over breakfast. His face was bright red, and he could barely look his parents in the eyes. He was just out having fun with his friends; he didn't think it was anything to be ashamed of.

Ryan shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong”, he said. “Right, Cooper? No drinking or drugs, right?”

Cooper shook his head. “Nah”, he lied, deciding it would be best not to tell them that he drank too much… again. “Just had some fun with the guys.” He didn’t tell them that in addition to drinking too much, he had also cheated on his girlfriend.

Later that day, pictures of Cooper making out with one of the Longhorn swimmers surfaced, and Kat broke up with him via text. He shoved his phone into his suitcase and cried.

***

 

After Thanksgiving, Cooper went back to training after having taken a couple weeks off and skipping the Minneapolis meet.

They spent some time in Florida with Ryan’s family for Christmas, and enjoyed a few days of warm weather, bonfires on the beach, and Ike’s home cooking. Cooper spent some time doing laps in Ike’s backyard pool. Having the grandparents and Ryan’s siblings around meant that there were plenty of people who were excited to spend time with Cooper and Tessa. It gave Ryan and Michael a few chances to be alone together. They went for runs together along the beach, went out for dinner together a couple times, and Ike even talked them into getting a hotel room for a night so they could really be alone. They had really been trying to make more time to be intimate, so the night away from everything for just the two of them made that easier.

They flew home on December 27th. Cooper and Michael went right to the pool from the airport for a training session, then out for their weekly dinner. Michael brought up the topic of college again, because application deadlines were quickly approaching. He and Ryan still wanted Cooper to at least consider it. Cooper explained that he was still undecided, and Michael decided to stop pushing it. He figured that he’d talk to Ryan about it later. The decision was ultimately Cooper’s own to make anyway.

After dinner, Michael dropped Cooper off at Luke’s house. Luke’s parents were away for a few days, and Luke had invited some friends over. Michael and Ryan weren’t aware that there wouldn't be any adult supervision at the party. Well, they had been young once themselves, so they probably knew. They just didn't let Cooper know that, and they didn't stop him from going to the party. He was a good kid and he’d be responsible, right?

 

***

 

The boys drank all night. At one point, Luke offered Cooper some pot. He refused because he didn't know when his next drug test would be. He had been tested right after the Golden Goggles, and thought he might be due again soon with the Pro Swim Series in full swing. 

His friends didn’t push it, which he was thankful for. He was lucky to be surrounded by good people who wouldn’t pressure him to do anything he didn't want to do. It helped that Luke had gone through it, and he was understanding of what Cooper was up against. He ended up sleeping with one of his classmates who had been flirting with him all night. While the other boys smoked, Cooper drank some more, until he got sick. It had been becoming a pattern for him. His friends all made concerned faces at him, but no one said anything. It’s not like he would have listened anyway.

He spent the night at Luke’s house and walked home late the next morning. His hangover caused him to be sick all day. Michael had woken up that morning with an awful stomach flu, so Ryan just assumed that Cooper had the same thing, and didn’t suspect that he had been drinking. 

Michael was still pretty sick the next day. Ryan made him some tea and toast, since it was one of the few things that he had been able to keep down. Cooper’s hangover had passed, and since he had promised himself that he would spend school vacation week working out, he went for a run. He ran five miles, then came home and did a set of crunches. He was concerned that he had gotten out of shape during the holidays, and was determined to get back into top form by the time he went to the Austin meet. He had some times in mind that he wanted to hit, and he wanted to be in the best shape possible in order to reach his goals.

While Cooper was out running, Ryan brought Michael the tea and toast and gently rubbed his back while he ate it. 

“Feeling okay, babe?”, Ryan asked.

Michael replied with a whine. His phone rang. He squinted at it and saw his mother’s number on the screen. “My mom”, he said.

Ryan squeezed Michael’s shoulder. “I’ll get it”, he said.

“Kay”, Michael said, and sank back down onto the pillows, with his hand across his stomach.

“Hi Debbie”, Ryan said into the phone.

“Hi Ryan, honey”, Debbie said. “Is Michael around? I wanted to ask if you boys and the kids wanted to come over for dinner tonight.”

Ryan glanced over at Michael who was curled up on the bed clutching his stomach. “Mike’s resting, Debbie”, Ryan said, reaching over to massage Michael’s temple. 

Debbie made a noise of concern. “Ryan”, she said. “Is he okay? Did something happen?”

“No, nothing like that”, Ryan said. “He just isn’t feeling well.”

“Is it that awful stomach thing that a lot of the teachers at my school came down with?”, Debbie asked.

“Yeah”, Ryan said. “Today is the second day of it. He just ate some toast and had some tea. I’ll take care of him.”

“Good”, Debbie said. “We’ll all have dinner another time then.”

“Okay”, Ryan said.

“And how are you and the kids feeling?”, Debbie asked.

“Cooper had a little bit of a bug or something yesterday, but he’s perfectly fine today. Tessa and I are both okay. So far.”

“Oh good”, Debbie said. “Hopefully it stays that way.”

“Hope so”, Ryan replied.

“Well, I’ll let you go”, Debbie said. “Tell my baby I hope he feels better. You boys call me if you need anything.”

“I will, Debbie”, Ryan said. “Thank you.”

When Ryan hung up the phone, he rubbed Michael’s back again. “Your mom wanted us to come over for dinner. When I told her that you weren’t feeling well, she said we’ll do it another night.”

“Kay”, Michael said. “Gonna sleep.”

Ryan rubbed Michael’s temple, where the sweat had matted his hair to his head. “Feel better”, he said quietly.

“Thanks babe”, Michael said. He yawned, and closed his eyes. 

Ryan squeezed his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. “Love you”, he said quietly.

 

***

The day before New Years Eve, Michael was feeling good as new. He got out of bed, showered, shaved and made breakfast. Ryan was happy to see that.

“You made breakfast!”, he exclaimed. “How are you feeling?”

Michael smiled. “So much better”, he said. “Really good, actually. I hope I didn’t make you sick.”

Ryan smiled and shook his head. “Nope”, he said. “Not yet anyway. Feeling great! Gonna go to work for a few hours.”

“You sure you feel up to it?”, Ryan asked.

Michael nodded. “I feel great”, he said. “Allie has the day off, so I’m gonna go in and get some stuff done before we go out with her and Chris tonight.”

“Okay”, Ryan said. “Come home if you feel tired. You need to be rested for tonight.”

Michael laughed. “Trying to seduce me?”, he asked coyly.

“You know it!”, Ryan replied.

 

Ryan had managed not to get sick, and so had Cooper, if you don’t count the hangover. Poor Tessa had ended up catching a cold and was feeling miserable. Michael and Ryan had plans to go out for New Year’s. They were going to have dinner with Allison and Chris, then go to the Four Seasons for a romantic evening together. They were looking forward to it, but they didn't want to leave Tessa while she was feeling so sick. 

Whitney’s daughter Taylor was home from school between semesters, so she offered to come over and spend the night with Tessa so Michael and Ryan could have their romantic evening and Cooper could hang out with his friends.

“Tay, I don’t want you to get sick”, Michael had protested when Taylor called.

“Uncle Mike, it’s fine”, Taylor insisted. “I’m a nursing major, and I’ve been doing a lot of work at the hospital. I deal with sick people all the time. If I catch her cold, I still have plenty of time to get over it before I go back to school and my internship.”

Michael gave in and accepted her offer. The following afternoon, Taylor showed up on their doorstep with a bag full of books and games. Tessa was curled up on the couch in a blanket with a book and a box of tissues.

“Taylor, you are the best”, Michael said, wrapping his niece in a big hug. “You look fantastic. You get more and more beautiful every time I see you”

Taylor smiled and blushed. “Aw, Thanks Uncle Mike”, she said. “Things are going well.”

“Good”, Michael said. “School going okay?”

“It’s awesome”, Taylor said with a nod. “It’s hard, and I don’t have any free time to hang out with my friends, but it’s awesome. My classes are great, and I’m loving my internship.”

“Good”, Michael said. “Proud of you, kid.”

“Thanks”, she said. “Love you, Uncle Mikey.”

Michael grinned. The kids and Allie were the only ones that he’d let get away with calling him Mikey. “I love you too”, he said.

Michael and Ryan both gave Tessa a hug before leaving for their night away. “Tessa, be good for your cousin okay?”, Michael said. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Okay”, Tessa said between sneezes.

“Feel better, honey”, Ryan said.

Tessa responded by sneezing again. “I’ll try”, she said.

Ryan and Michael drove into the city to meet Allison and Chris for dinner. They went to B&O Brasserie, where Chris knew the chef. Several members of their kitchen staff had worked with Chris in the past, and Chris’ team had helped develop some of the seasonal menu items. They were all looking forward to a great meal. They ordered a dozen oysters for an appetizer, then their entrees.

They each started with a salad. Allison and Chris each got the pear arugula salad, one of the new menu items that Chris’ company had developed for the restaurant. Ryan got a baby romaine salad with bacon bits and buttermilk ranch dressing. Michael got a spring mix salad with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. 

When they ordered their dinners, Allison picked the fish special, Chris ordered cider brined pork, Ryan ordered roasted scallops, and Michael decided on Crab cakes with homemade mustard sauce.

They ordered 2 orders of french fries, roasted broccoli, spiced nuts, and warmed olives for the table. They each also had a couple glasses of wine.

They ate well, and Ryan was pleased to see that Michael was enjoying his meal. He was always so restrictive about calories, and he had been so sick for a few days. Ryan was happy to see his husband enjoying a meal and not worrying about what was in it. Ryan believed that everyone deserved to treat themselves once in a while.

While they were eating dinner, Michael ordered a cheese plate and another dozen oysters for the table.

“Hungry, Mike?”, Allison asked with a smirk.

Michael nodded as he shoveled another forkful of crab cake into his mouth. “I was sick this week. I haven’t eaten anything but toast, crackers, and applesauce for three days”, he said. “I’m starving.”

“Did you get sick too, Ryan?”, Allison asked.

Ryan shook his head. “Nope”, he said. “Mike had the stomach thing, Cooper had a 24 hour bug of some sort, and Tessa has a cold, but I managed to get away unscathed. So far anyway. Hoping to keep it that way.”

“That’s good”, Chris said, nodding in agreement. “Something is going around. Three of my staff members have been out sick with colds and stomach bugs, so I’ve been borrowing people from other catering companies while they recover. It’s crazy. I hope whatever this is passes soon.”

“It’s awful”, Allison agreed. “Mike, while you were sick, three of the Elite team members were also out sick for a couple days, and some of the instructors too. I had to get coverage for the Parents Get Wet class.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”, Michael asked.

“Because you were sick, hon”, Allison said gently. “I didn’t want to bother you, or have you come in and infect everyone else.”

“Good point”, Michael said. “Wish I could have been useful though.”

“Mike, it’s fine”, Allison said gently. “Really.”

“Plus, you could barely move”, Ryan said, with his hand on Michael’s back. “You had me worried for a while there, babe.”

“Sorry”, Michael said. “I don’t usually get sick like that.”

“I know”, Ryan said. “That’s why I was worried.”

“It was weird”, Michael said.

“But you feel okay now?”, Allison asked.

Michael nodded. “yeah”, he said. “Good as new. Couldn’t be better.”

“And everything else is good?”, Allison asked. 

“Yup”, Michael said. “I’m happy, healthy, and really looking forward to the coming year.”

“So, a toast?”, Chris suggested.

Allison nodded and raised her glass. “To us”, she said. “May the coming year be a great one for all of us, and we have many, many more years of health and happiness.”

“Here Here”, Ryan replied.

“Happy New Year”, Michael added.

“Happy New Year”, Chris, Allison, and Ryan replied as the all clinked their glasses and took a sip of their drinks.

“So what are you two up to the rest of the night?”, Michael asked after the toast.

“Going to the gala downtown and dancing the night away”, Allison said. “How about you guys?”

“Spending the night at the Four Seasons and just being together”, Michael said with a smile, as he took Ryan’s hand under the table and rubbed Ryan’s knuckles with his thumb.

The waiter came over and cleared their plates and took dessert orders: Apple tarts for Allison, pumpkin cheesecake for Chris, banana pudding for Ryan, and raspberry sorbet for Michael.

“You sure that’s all you want?”, Allison asked him when the waiter walked away. “The sorbet portion is really small here.”

Michael nodded. “Ate too much”, he said. “Sorbet is light. If I eat anything too heavy, I’m going to throw up.”

“Feeling sick again?”, Ryan asked, alarmed. He reached out and squeezed Michael’s shoulder.

Michael shook his head and rubbed his stomach. “Nah”, he said. “Just don't want to overdo it too soon after being sick. I probably ate more than I should have as it is.”

“You sure you’re feeling okay?”, Allison asked.

Michael nodded. “Yup”, he said. 

“Promise?”, Ryan asked.

“Yes”, Michael insisted impatiently. “I just need to go back to my diet starting tomorrow.”

Allison rolled her eyes. “You don’t need to be on a diet, Mike”, she said. “You look great.”

Michael laughed and took a sip of his water. “I just mean that I can’t be eating like this all the time”, he said. “Need to get back on track.”

After Michael paid the nearly five hundred dollar dinner check - with a lot of protesting from Allison and Chris - the two couples went their separate ways for the night.

“Have a good night you two”, Allison said with a smile.

Michael smiled back at her. “Thanks”, he said. “You two enjoy your night too.”

Michael and Ryan checked into the hotel and went up to their favorite room. They relaxed in bed for a little while, then ordered some room service.

They talked about the year, and their hopes and goals for the upcoming one while they sat in the hot tub and ate their room service order of chocolate covered strawberries, and drank more wine. They talked about their relationship, and how it went from good to better in the short time that they had been going to therapy together.

“You were right, Mike”, Ryan said. “When you first suggested it, I thought you were implying that there was a big problem that we had to address, but in the end it was just a few little things we needed to work on. I feel like it’s really helped us.”

“Me too, Ry”, Michael said. “I’m glad you agreed to go with me. I was worried that you’d be mad about me asking you to go. I agree though. It’s helped us so much. I’ve never been good at communicating, so I wanted to make sure we worked on it before the little things became big things.”

At midnight they counted down, toasted their glasses to the new year. They kissed softly at first, then it got deeper. After drying off and making their way to the bed, they pressed against each other and for the first time in a long time, Michael initiated contact. He nipped at Ryan’s shoulders, gripped at Ryan’s side, and kissed his body until he moaned. 

“Mike”, Ryan said.

Michael kissed Ryan’s chest again. “Yeah?”, he asked.

“I like it when you make the first move”, Ryan said. “It’s hot.”

Michael swirled his tongue over Ryan’s nipple and kissed it. “You’re hot”, he replied.

“Getting old, man”, Ryan said. 

“Nah”, Michael said. “You’re perfect.”

Ryan gripped Michael’s hip and rested his thumb on the raised edges of Michael’s v-bones. “You’re losing a lot of weight, babe”, he said. “Looking thin.”

Michael shrugged. “Not that much”, he said. “Just been working out a lot more and watching what I eat.”

“Don’t lose too much”, Ryan said. “I like having a little something to grab onto.”

Michael giggled. “Okay, fine”, he said pretending to be annoyed. “I’ll try to get nice and plump for you.”

Ryan burst out laughing. “You’re perfect, baby”, he said. “You’re beautiful inside and out, and you always make me laugh.”

“I do what I can”, Michael said.

“Don’t ever change”, Ryan replied.

“I love you, Ry”, Michael said.

“I love you so much, Mike”, Ryan replied.

Michael reached over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of lube. He poured some into his hands, prepared, and allowed himself enter Ryan. He thrusted as they counted down, and fucked into the new year. Michael rarely made the first move, but Ryan always made him feel so good. He wanted a chance to make Ryan feel that way too.

When he finished, Michael pressed himself against Ryan’s warm body, and Ryan held him close. They settled into a comfortable silence, and fell asleep in each other’s arms. It was a great way to ring in the new year, and they were so happy to be there with each other. They were thankful for their relationship, their families, and two happy, healthy kids.

 

***

 

They got the call around 2 AM. They awoke from a deep sleep to the sound of Ryan’s phone blaring from its spot on the nightstand. It took them both a few minutes to come out of their deep sleep and realize that the never-ending noise was Ryan’s phone.

“Phone”, Ryan said sleepily.

“Middle of the night”, Michael grumbled, before leaning over to kiss Ryan’s neck, and leaning back onto the pillow and closing his eyes again. “Tell whoever it is that I want to kill them for ruining my beauty sleep. The more I sleep, the sexier I get!”

Ryan laughed. “Like that’s possible!”, he said. “You’re a fucking smokeshow.”

Michael smiled against Ryan’s back and kissed his shoulder. “You’re the best”, he replied.

The phone kept ringing. “Gonna grab this”, Ryan said. “Don’t recognize the number, but who calls in the middle of the night? This could be important.”

“Okay”, Michael said.

“Hello?”, Ryan said sleepily, as he answered his phone.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events of this chapter occur concurrently with the events of Chapter 22

On the evening of New Year’s Eve, Cooper left the house around the same time as Michael and Ryan. 

“You going to Luke’s?”, Ryan asked as Cooper started to get into his car.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Hanging with the guys for the night.”

“Will his parents be home?”, Michael asked.

“Oh yeah”, Cooper lied. “For sure.”

“Have fun”, Ryan said.

Cooper drove over to Luke’s house for the party. He stopped at the grocery store on the way to shop for some snacks. He used his fake ID to buy some alcohol to bring to the party.

He arrived at Luke’s house ready to have a fun evening with his friends. Cooper could tell that Luke had already started smoking, because he couldn’t stop giggling. He followed Luke into the living room, where the food was already out. He held out his pipe which was brightly colored and covered in peace signs. “You want?”, he asked.

Cooper shook his head as he set down the bag of drinks. “Nah”, he said. “Can’t.”

“You sure?”, Luke asked. “It’s harmless. Your dads won’t care, right? Didn’t Mike used to smoke?”

Cooper shook his head. “Like, once when he was a lot younger”, he said. “and anyway, I’m probably due for a drug test soon.”

“Sucks”, Luke said. “Can’t say I miss that shit.”

Cooper groaned. “I know, dude”, he said. “But I gotta follow the rules. My dads will be pissed if I fail a drug test. Don’t wanna get grounded. Again.”

“You get in any trouble for the strippers?”, Luke asked, trying not to laugh.

Cooper couldn't figure out why everyone thought the thing about the strip club and the lap dance was so damn funny. He made a face at his friend. “Nah”, he said. “They were pretty cool about that, aside from laughing at me. They were honestly more pissed that I cheated on Kat.”

Cooper picked up a slice of pizza from the box on the kitchen counter and took a bite. He followed Luke into the living room where their friends had gathered.

“A lap dance ain’t cheatin’ though, Dude”, Luke said. “Kat’s cool. I doubt she’d care ‘bout the strip club.”

“No, like… the other stuff”, Cooper said with a mouthful of pizza.

“Other stuff?”, Luke asked, as he leaned back on the couch.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Lauren.”

Luke stared at him with a blank expression, then laughed. “Dude, I’m like, really fucking high right now”, he said. “I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, but okay.”

“After Golden Goggles”, Cooper started to explain. “A bunch of us went to the club, then got drinks. Lauren from Longhorn and I made out, then went back to my hotel room, and we fucked. Her bod is, like… fuckin’ bangin’ dude. The pictures of me kissing her in the club ended up online. Kat saw them and… broke up with me.”

“Can you blame her?”, Luke asked, as he set down his pipe on the coffee table. He was suddenly a little more lucid.

“Guess not”, Cooper said. “But she’s traveling for a year for skating so…”

“That don’t make cheatin’ okay”, Luke pointed out.

Cooper shrugged. “My girlfriend is out of town for a fuckin’ year”, he exploded. “and I needed sex, so…”

Luke shook his head, and took a long swig from his drink on the coffee table. “Then maybe you and Kat shoulda taken a break while she was gonna be away”, he said.

“But I want Kat and sex”, Cooper whined.

Luke shook his head. “Not cool, dude”, he said. “You’re changin’ on me. You used to be a good guy.”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “I haven’t changed”, he said. Then he picked up the pipe from the coffee table. “Gimme this fuckin’ thing.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Not changin’ huh?”, he asked.

Some of their other friends came and went throughout the evening. There were a lot of parties going on, so people were making the rounds. Cooper made the mistake of getting both drunk and high, and spent most of the night in a confused haze. He missed the midnight countdown, because he kept running outside to throw up, because he was too drunk to remember that the bathroom was across the hall.

By the time he finished throwing up for the fifth or sixth time in the past hour, his stomach was churning and his head felt funny. He was having trouble standing up. Most of his friends were asleep on the living room floor, or at least close to falling asleep. Luke was awake and waiting for him in the kitchen.

“Didja puke in my mom’s rose bush?”, Luke asked.

Cooper stumbled and grabbed the onto the kitchen counter to steady himself. “I puked…”, he said while gesticulating wildly. “There, there… oh… and there.”

Luke looked at him sadly. “Bro, you have a problem”, he said.

“Nah”, Cooper slurred, waving off Luke’s concerns. “I’m good.”

“No”, Luke said. “You’re not. How often do you do this?”

“Not a lot”, Cooper lied. “I’m fine.”

Luke grabbed Cooper’s shoulders. “Bro”, he said. “You’re always getting in trouble. You’re drinking and smoking and sleeping around and who the hell knows what else.”

“You do that”, Cooper pointed out.

“Fine”, Luke said. “I drink and smoke sometimes. But not like this. And I don’t sleep around.”

Cooper shrugged. “Yeah, well…”, he began, but didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Deep down, he knew that Luke had a point.

“Does getting drunk and acting like an idiot make you feel good?”, Luke asked. “Is fucking around and ruining relationships fun?”

Cooper shrugged again, and heaved as if he were about to throw up, but nothing came out. “I guess”, he said. “Not as stressed about school and swimming when I do.”

“If swimming is stressing you out, you should stop”, Luke said. 

“Nah”, Cooper said. “better than going to college. Dads want me to go, but I don’t wanna.”

“You’re not going to college?”, Luke asked incredulously. “Dude, with your grades, you can get in anywhere. You’re like a fuckin’ genius or some shit. Or you could get a swimming scholarship.”

Cooper shook his head. “Nah”, he said. “Training for Stockholm. No time for school.”

“Okay…”, Luke said.

“Get off my back”, Cooper snapped, unprompted.

“Yeah”, Luke said, holding up his hands and backing away. “Okay.”

Cooper snatched his car keys off of the kitchen counter. “Goin’ home”, he said. “See ya.”

Luke grabbed his arm. “You are not driving”, he said. “Fuck no.”

Cooper shook Luke away. “Fuck you”, he said. “Im leavin’. Bye.”

“Stay here tonight, bro”, Luke pleaded. “You’re not okay to drive.”

“I’m fine!”, Cooper snapped. “Later.”

“Cooper…”, Luke started to say, but Cooper was already gone.

Cooper stormed out of the house, leaving Luke in the kitchen with his mouth hanging open in shock. He got into his car and started the drive home, speeding and swerving along the way, narrowly missing a few cars, both parked and moving. He was about a block away from home, when he saw the flashing lights behind him. He swerved to the side of the road, and hit the curb. The officer appeared at his window.

“Young man, do you know why I stopped you?”, the officer asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Speeding, I guess?”, he asked. “I dunno.”

“I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle”, the officer replied.

And that’s how Cooper ended up in the Towson police station in the wee hours of New Year’s Day. 

“Is there someone you can call to pick you up?”, the booking officer asked.

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he snapped. “I mean, I guess so.”

It was 2 AM. Michael and Ryan were going to kill him. He punched Ryan’s number into the phone and waited. Ryan’s phone rang and rang.  
“Go to voicemail. Go to voicemail. Go to voicemail”, Cooper mumbled to himself. And then…

“Hello?”, Ryan grumbled into the phone.

“Dad…”, Cooper began. “I need you to come get me.”


	24. Chapter 24

“Who is it?”, Michael asked sleepily from his spot next to Ryan. He ran his fingertips up and down Ryan’s arm

Ryan moved the phone away from his ear. “It’s Cooper”, he said quietly.

“Cooper?”, Michael said sleepily. “2 AM.”

“Cooper, where are you?”, Ryan asked into the phone.

Cooper sighed. “Don’t be mad”, he said, even know he knew that wasn’t likely.

“Cooper, where are you?”, Ryan asked again.

“Police station”, Cooper said quietly. “In Towson.”

Ryan was wide awake now. “What?”, he asked.

“Police station”, Cooper said again.

“No, I heard you”, Ryan said. “What did you do?”

“I’m so sorry”, Cooper said. “Got pulled over… drunk.”

“Cooper…”, Ryan began. “We’re on our way.”

Ryan hung up his phone and set it on the nightstand. Michael was still curled up against him. “Everything ok?”, he asked.

Ryan shook his head. “Little shit”, he grumbled.

“What happened?”, Michael asked.

“Fuckin’ drove drunk”, Ryan said. “He’s at the police station.”

“Shit”, Michael said. “What’s up with him lately?”

Ryan shrugged. “Let’s go get him”, he said.

“Okay”, Michael said. “I’ll get all of our stuff together if you want to run downstairs and check out?”

“Yeah”, Ryan said. “I’ll bring the car around.”

Ryan went downstairs to check out, and Michael gathered up their overnight bags. The elevator was being serviced, so they had to walk down five flights of stairs. Even while carrying all the bags, Michael still managed to get downstairs not too long after Ryan. They checked out together, and walked to the car.

“I don’t know what to do”, Ryan said. “What’s going on with him?”

“It’s rough”, Michael agreed. “Let’s go get him, and we’ll talk to him.”

“Yeah”, Ryan said.

“Want me to drive?”, Michael asked. “You seem a little shaken up.”

Ryan nodded. “You okay to drive?”, he asked.

Michael nodded. “Yep”, he said. “Fine. Been a few hours since the wine. I’m good.”

“Okay”, Ryan said, and handed over his keys.

 

***

About an hour after they got the call, Ryan and Michael had picked up Cooper and were on their way home. They were in their car driving back to the house when Cooper started to protest.

“Did you have something to say, Coop?”, Ryan asked coldly.

“Need to get my car”, Cooper replied.

“Oh no you don’t”, Ryan said sternly. “We’re going home.”

“Need to get my car”, Cooper repeated. “It’s on the side of the road.”

“No”, Ryan said. “I’ll get it tomorrow, and then we’re selling it.”

“Fuck no”, Cooper said.

“Fuck yes”, Ryan snapped. “You are in so much trouble right now, young man. You’re not going to be driving for a very long time.”

Cooper responded by grumbling and muttering a string of obscenities under his breath.

“What was that?”, Michael asked.

“Nothing”, Cooper grumbled.

When they got into the house, Taylor was asleep on the couch with the television on. She opened her eyes when the front door opened. “Hi”, she said sleepily. “You’re home early.”

“Ry, you okay?”, Michael asked softly as he touched Ryan’s arm.

“Yeah”, Ryan replied. Cooper started towards the stairs to go up to his room. “No, Cooper.”

“No what?”, Cooper snapped.

“Shh..”, Ryan said. “You’ll wake up your sister. You’re not leaving.”

“Going upstairs”, Cooper snapped.

“You’re staying right here”, Ryan said, sternly, but still trying to keep his voice down. “The three of us need to talk about this.”

“No”, Cooper said.

“Yes”, Michael said. 

“Guys, is everything okay?”. Taylor asked, as she sat up.

Ryan smiled weakly. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out”, he said, and Taylor nodded.

“Ry, I’ll be back”, Michael said quietly, and Ryan nodded.

“T, can you join me in the kitchen for a second?”, Michael asked.

Taylor smiled. “Sure”, she said, as she got off of the couch and followed Michael into the kitchen. “You okay, Uncle Mike? Grandma said that you were sick or something for a few days?”

“I had a stomach bug last week”, Michael said. “It was a rough few days, but I feel good now. Ate a little too much at dinner tonight though.”

“What about the other stuff?”, Taylor asked.

Michael made a mental note to lecture his mother on what she should and shouldn’t be telling the grandkids about, but at the same time, he wanted to hug her. He knew that Debbie meant well, and he loved her for it. “I’m doing really well, T”, he said sincerely. “A lot of hard days, but plenty of good ones too.”

“Good”, she said with a smile as she reached over and rubbed his arm. “I love you Uncle Mikey. I don’t like it that things are hard for you.”

“I’m okay”, Michael said, smiling back at her. “Really. I’m doing a lot better than I was all those years ago. You were too young to know what was happening, but it was rough there for a while. I’m better now, though.”

Taylor smiled. “Yeah”, she said. “I know about some of the stuff. I’m glad you’re okay now.”

Michael playfully punched her arm. “Love you so much, Kid”, he said. “You make me so proud. How was it hanging with Tessa for the night?”

“She was great”, Taylor said. “She’s such an awesome kid.”

Michael smiled. “She’s amazing”, he agreed. “She go to sleep okay?”

Taylor nodded. “Perfect”, she said. “Gave her some cold medicine, then we read together for a little while, and then she fell asleep right after that. Her cold seems to be getting better. She’s not sniffling as much.”

“Good”, Michael said. “Thanks for everything.”

“Any time”, Taylor said. “So, what’s going on? You and Ry are home early and Cooper looks pissed.”

“He drove drunk”, Michael said. “Something’s up. Ryan and I have to deal with that. Figure out what’s going on with him.”

“Man”, Taylor said. “I can’t say I ever saw that coming. I kinda thought Cooper was the well-behaved one of all the cousins… besides me of course.”

Michael laughed and shook his head. “You’re all good kids”, he said. “Cooper is just… going through some stuff.”

“Yeah”, Taylor said. “Good luck with all that. So, do you need me to get out of your hair?”

Michael gave her a hug. “Even though we’re home and don’t need a babysitter now, you can still stay, if you want. I’d actually prefer it if you did. I don’t want you to drive home in the middle of the night. Especially with all the crazies out there.”

Taylor nodded. “Thanks”, she said. “I think I will.”

Michael nodded. “Good”, he said. 

“If it’s cool, I’m going to head upstairs and go to bed now”, Taylor said.

“Sure”, Michael said, giving her another hug. “Good night, T.”

“Night Uncle Mike”, she said. “Love you.”

“Love you too, Taylor”, Michael said. “Go get some sleep.”

 

***

 

Michael and Ryan sat Cooper down in the living room. “Okay”, Ryan began. “Start talking. What is going on with you?”

Cooper shrugged. “Just had fun with my friends”, he said. “Not a big deal.”

Michael shook his head. “You’re too young to drink”, he said. “And you certainly shouldn't have been driving.”

“Whatever”, Cooper said. 

“No”, Ryan said. “Not whatever. Do you understand how dangerous that was? Do you realize how lucky you are that no one got hurt?”

“I guess?”, Cooper said. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Nobody died.”

“Cooper, this is very serious”, Ryan said. “Was this the first time? Have you been drinking a lot?”

“Few times”, Cooper replied. “Not much.”

“You shouldn’t be drinking at all”, Michael said. “And you should never drive when you drink too much.”

Ryan touched Michael’s leg. “Babe, I’m gonna go check on Tessa”, he said.

Michael nodded. “Sure”, he said. “I got this.”

Ryan went upstairs, and peeked into Tessa’s room. She was sound asleep. Ryan smiled. On his way back downstairs, he went into Cooper’s room. He didn’t know if he’d like what he found, but he had to know. He opened Cooper’s desk drawer, and found half a bottle of vodka. He looked under the bed, and found several empty bottles. By the time he found more in the nightstand and in the closet, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Michael”, he yelled.

Michael left Cooper on the couch and went running up the stairs. “What is it?”, he asked. He walked into Cooper’s room and saw the bottles that Ryan had spread on the bed. Some were empty, and other’s still had some liquid in them. “Oh my God.”

Michael went to the top of the stairs. “Cooper!”, he yelled. “Get up here RIGHT NOW.”

Cooper stomped up the stairs. “What?”, he spat. Then he walked into the room and saw Michael and Ryan surrounded by the bottles. “They’re not mine.”

“Not yours?”, Ryan asked, his voice dripping with disdain. “Whose are they? Tessa’s?”

Cooper stared at them for a moment. “Dunno”, he finally said.

“That’s been your answer for everything lately, young man”, Michael said. “What’s up?”

Cooper shrugged. “Havin' fun I guess”, he said. “Everyone does it. My friends say it helps you relax.”

“Have you been doing anything else?”, Ryan asked. “Drugs?”

“No!”, Cooper said indignantly. “Well… pot.”

“Seriously?”, Michael asked. “You know that you’re due for a drug test soon, right?”

Cooper shrugged. “I guess”, he said. “Still wanted to try it.”

“Did your friends pressure you?”, Michael asked.

Cooper shook his head. “Nah”, he said. “Luke was cool when I said no, but then I changed my mind. It was my choice. No one pressured me.”

“And you know that what you did was wrong?”, Michael asked.

“What the fuck, Mike?”, Cooper snapped. “You used to smoke!”

“That was a long time ago, Coop”, Michael said quietly.

“Don’t talk to Michael like that”, Ryan added. “You have no right to use his past against him.”

“Sorry”, Cooper mumbled.

“Okay”, Ryan said, shaking his head. “I can’t deal with this now. Go to bed. We’ll all talk in the morning.”

“Fine”, Cooper snapped.

“Have some water and aspirin”, Michael said. “You’re going to be hurting in the morning.”

“Whatever”, Cooper grumbled.

 

***

Michael and Ryan went into their bedroom and climbed into bed. “What should we do?”, Michael asked.

Ryan slumped down against the pillows and looked at the ceiling. Michael leaned against him and played with his hair. “I’m scared, Mike”, he said sadly. “What’s wrong with my little man?”

“Let’s let him sleep it off and we’ll talk to him about it in the morning”, Michael said gently. “We’ll figure it out.” 

“This is going to be all over the news soon, so he’s going to have to warn family and friends.”

“Yeah”, Ryan said. “This fucking sucks, Mike.”

“Definitely”, Michael said.

“Sorry he threw your past mistakes in your face”, Ryan said. “That’s gotta hurt.”

Michael shrugged. “Everyone does it”, he said forlornly. “Not a big deal.”

“You sure?”, Ryan asked. “I’m really sorry, Mike.”

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I mean it sucks and it hurts, but it happens. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay’, he said. “He’s gonna get suspended from swimming, isn’t he?”,

Michael nodded. “Probably”, he said. “I’m guessing six months or so. We’ll probably find out tomorrow.”

“And if he doesn’t get suspended, we should take it away anyway”, Ryan said.

“Yup”, Michael said.

 

***

The next morning, Michael and Ryan instructed Cooper to call his relatives and a few close friends. The news of the DUI was going to end up on the news soon, if it hadn’t already. They wanted him to try to warn the people close to him before they heard it from an outside source. He talked to Luke for a long time and apologized for the things that he said at the party. Luke accepted his apology and expressed his concern again. 

Cooper still hadn’t quite grasped what was happening, so he told Luke that there was no need to be concerned and that he’d see him at school in a few days,

While he was on the phone, Michael called Cooper’s agent to try to come up with a plan. When Cooper was finished, he and his agent released a statement online alerting his fans of the news. While he was taking care of that, Ryan walked down the street to get Cooper’s car and drove it back to the house.

When he was finished, Michael and Ryan sat him down to talk about what was happening. They told him that they were worried and he said again that he was fine. After some pressing, he admitted that he was stressed about balancing school and swimming, that being a straight-A student and an elite athlete, daily workouts, meets, and maintaining a social and family life was too much. He was exhausted and had been drinking when he hung out with his friends in the hope that it would help him to blow off some steam.

“Cooper, that’s not a good thing”, Michael told him gently. “Alcohol Abuse is very serious.”

“I’m not…”, Cooper began.

“You are, kid”, Ryan said gently. “We might need to talk about getting you some help”

“I’m fine”, Cooper said. “Drinking isn’t a big deal.”

“Cooper, you broke the law” Michael said. “You drank underage, then drove. The officer who pulled you over told us that your Blood Alcohol Level was twice the legal limit. Twice the legal limit, kid.”

“And you were speeding and crossing double lane lines. You could have killed someone or yourself”, Ryan said.

“So, what now?”, Cooper asked.

“Well, USA Swimming has suspended you for 6 months”, Michael said, “So you’re going to miss the rest of the Pro Swim Series.”

“No”, Cooper said.

Michael nodded. “Unfortunately, yes”, he said.

“So what now?”, Cooper said. “What about training?”

“You can still train, so we might be able to get you ready for Nationals, but we’ll figure that out later”, Michael said. “Worlds is definitely out too.”

“No”, Cooper said.

“Yes”, Michael insisted. “Cooper, this isn’t up for discussion.”

“Fix it”, Cooper demanded. “You have connections.”

“Cooper, it’s out of my hands”, Michael said. “This is up to USA Swimming, not me or dad. Even though I’m your coach, I still don't have any say.”

“Fuck you”, Cooper said. 

“Cooper”, Michael began. Cooper’s words had stung.

“Sorry”, Cooper said, when he saw the look on Michael’s face.

“Also, you’re grounded until graduation”, Ryan said. 

“What?”, Cooper said. “Not fair.”

“After what you pulled?”, Ryan asked. “Mike and I think the punishment is very fair. We won’t know until after your trial in a few weeks how long you’ll lose your license for, but it will likely be a while”, Ryan said. “Since you won’t be driving, we’re going to sell your car.”

“No”, Cooper said.

“Yes”, Michael said. “Dad and I talked, and your behavior has shown that you’re not responsible enough to operate a motor vehicle.”

“But I’ve been responsible in the past!”, Cooper protested. “This was just a one time thing. I won’t do it again. I swear!”

“Cooper, after finding all those alcohol bottles in your room, it makes us wonder how many other times you’ve driven drunk without getting caught”, Michael said. “We can’t take any chances. We’re selling your car, and when you can prove that you can be responsible again, we’ll talk about you getting a new one.”

Cooper stomped up to his room without answering. Tessa came downstairs and sat next to Michael on the couch. “Is Cooper in trouble?”, she asked.

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance, and Ryan came over and sat next to them on the couch. He pulled Tessa into his lap. “Honey, your brother did something he shouldn’t have last night. We talked to him about it.”

“Is it about the bottles in his room?”, Tessa asked. “They smell funny.”

“Sweetie, you know about that?”, Michael asked.

Tessa nodded. “I saw them in there when we were drawing together”, she said. “Did Cooper do something bad?”

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance again. How do you explain something like this to someone her age? “Tessa, those bottles you saw in Cooper’s room are big people drinks”, Michael said. “Did you know that?”

“Cooper is big”, Tessa said, looking confused.

Ryan smiled. “Cooper is your big brother”, he said gently. “But he’s not big enough for drinks like that. We don’t know how he got them.”

“Cooper is my big brother and I love him”, Tessa said. “Is something bad going to happen to him?”

“He’s going to be okay”, Ryan said gently. “Dad and I will make sure he is. Okay honey? Don’t worry about it.”

Tessa nodded. “Okay”, she said. “Can I go back upstairs now?”

Michael nodded. “Of course honey”, he said, rubbing her back.

Tessa jumped off Michael’s lap and ran towards the stairs. Then she turned around. “Love you, dad and dad!”, she said with a smile.

Michael smiled back. “I love you too”, he replied.

“Love you, Tess”, Ryan said.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Ryan try to deal with everything happening with Cooper. They decide to talk to his doctor to figure out how to handle the situation. Allison and Ryan begin to worry about the pressure Michael puts on himself.

Michael was in the kitchen surrounded by the ingredients for the meal that he had defrosted for dinner. He squinted at the instructions and tried to prepare dinner.

Ryan came into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist. “Smells good”, he said. “What are we having?”

“Ras el Hanout spiced cod with couscous, lentils, and roasted squash”, Michael said.

“Yummy”, Ryan said. “I’m seriously obsessed with this delivery service your mom got us.”

“Great, huh?”, Michael said. “Tastes awesome, and most of the stuff is really healthy.”

“Good stuff”, Ryan agreed. “I stopped at the bakery on the way home and got a cherry pie for dessert.”

“I can’t have pie”, Michael said, shaking his head and patting his stomach. “My stomach is still punishing me for that New Years dinner.”

Ryan grinned. “Sure you can”, he said, pinching Michael’s waist. “We gotta fatten you up.”

Michael laughed. “One slice”, he said. “Then I need to work out.”

“You look great, baby”, Ryan said. “Don’t worry so much.”

Michael grinned. He turned around and kissed Ryan. “Thanks, babe”, he said. “Dinner will be ready in about five or ten minutes. Mind grabbing the kids?”

“Sure”, Ryan said. “I’ll be right back.”

Cooper wouldn’t come downstairs for dinner. He was still mad at Michael and Ryan, and would barely look them in the eye. They figured that he was probably embarrassed in addition to being mad. Ryan brought a tray up to his room and left it outside the door. Michael, Ryan, and Tessa ate in silence in the kitchen. When Ryan went upstairs to check on Cooper again, the tray was still outside the door, this time with empty dishes on it. Ryan knocked on the door.

“Buddy?”, he called softly.

“Come in”, Cooper said sadly.

Ryan opened the door and went into the room. Cooper was sitting on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. Ryan sat down next to him. “How you doin’?”, he asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Okay, I guess”, he said. “Thanks for bringin' food up.”

“You’re welcome”, Ryan said. 

“It was good”, Cooper said.

Ryan nodded. “Glad you liked it”, he said.

Cooper smiled weakly. “I’m really sorry Dad”, he said.

Ryan pursed his lips into a line. “You have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow”, he said. “Mike and I are going with you.”

“Fine”, Cooper said distractedly.

“We’re going to have to talk to your doctor about this… problem”, Ryan said.

“Don’t have a problem”, Cooper said quietly. “I’m fine.”

Ryan placed his hand on Cooper’s shoulder and held it for a moment. He opened his mouth to protest, then decided against it. “Night, Coop”, he said.

Cooper swallowed. He looked at Ryan, but his expression didn’t change. “Night Dad”, he said quietly.

 

***

 

Ryan went back downstairs. Michael was sitting on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through the On Demand options on the TV. He looked up and saw Ryan. Ryan smiled weakly and joined Michael on the couch. He fell into Michael’s waiting arms, and Michael kissed him on the top of his head. “How is he?”, Michael asked.

Ryan shrugged and kissed Michael’s neck. “He’s pissed at us”, Ryan said. “Think he’s a little upset with himself too.”

“I’m pretty pissed at him too”, Michael said. 

“Me too”, Ryan said.

“What time is his doctor’s appointment tomorrow?”, Michael asked.

“Three”, Ryan said. “I’m only working until about twelve tomorrow, so that’ll give us plenty of time, as long as your day isn’t too busy.”

“Cool”, Michael said. “I have to run the early practice for the elite team tomorrow, and the Parents Get Wet class, so I’m gonna wake up at 3, go for my long run, head to the pool for work by four-thirty. Practice is at five, and Parents Get Wet is at seven-thirty. I’ll hopefully have time to get a quick swim of my own in too, then I have therapy at 11, so I can swing by here when I’m done. We can eat lunch together, then the three of us can go to the hospital?”

“Babe”, Ryan said. “That’s a lot. I’m exhausted just hearing you talk about it.”

“I’m exhausted from thinking about it”, Michael admitted.

“That’s too much for you to get done in a short time”, Ryan said. “You’re going to make yourself sick from the stress.”

Michael shook his head. “It’s fine”, he said. “We’ll make it work. I’ll just go to bed early tomorrow night if I’m too tired.”

Ryan wrapped his arm around Michael, and held on tightly. “You sure?”, he asked. “You worry me sometimes, babe.”

“Ry, I’m fine”, Michael said, as he kissed Ryan’s shoulder. “Really. We’ll make it work.”

Ryan nodded and rubbed Michael’s stomach. “Okay”, he said, in a way that made it sound like he wasn’t entirely convinced.

Michael put his hand on top of Ryan’s hand and directed it under the waistband of his jeans. “Ry, I’m okay”, he said. “Stuff is hard for me sometimes, but I’m okay.”

“I love you baby”, Ryan said, as his fingertips found the smooth, hard skin under Michael’s pants. “And I think you’re amazing.”

“We’re going to get through this”, Michael said. “As a family. We’re going to fix this, and we’re all going to be okay.”

 

***

 

The next morning, Michael woke up before the sun and went for a long run. With each step that hit the concrete, his stress began to melt away. He was mad at Cooper, but also worried about him. He was worried about the effect the stress was having on Ryan. He was stressed about therapy, both his own and couple’s therapy with Ryan. he was worried about what was going to happen at Cooper’s appointment, but he knew that he and Ryan would be able to get their little family through the tough times.

After his run, he went home, took a shower and got dressed. Then got into his car to drive to work. He stopped at a drive-thru for some breakfast, and went to the pool. He had just enough time to eat before he had to coach the morning practice. Many of the elite team members asked him about Cooper, but Michael didn’t want to give out too much information. “He’ll be okay”, was all he managed to say. 

After the Elite group finished their morning training session, Michael conducted the Parents Get Wet session, He had a lot of fun watching the little kids splash around, and enjoyed talking with some of the parents in the group. Even in times of stress, his work brought him a lot of joy. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the little kids and hearing their laughter was a natural anti-depressant for him. When he saw them smile, he couldn’t help but smile himself.

When the parents and kids left, Michael jumped into the pool on his own to do a few laps. He didn't push himself too hard, because he was still tired from his run. He just wanted to be in the water for a little while. The familiar pull of the water in the pool where he grew up, made him happy, and let more of his stress and anger out. The pool had always done that for him.

After his swim, he climbed out and went to the locker room to take get dressed. When he finished, he went to his office to grab his bag before leaving.

On his way out of the aquatic center, Allison stopped him. “Mike”, she said. “I want to talk to you before you go. 

“Sure”, Michael said, glancing at his watch. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to ask…”, Allison began. “Are you okay?”

Michael nodded. “Great”, he lied.

“Mike”, Allison said, shaking her head.

“What?”, Michael asked. 

“Your office. Now.”, Allison said.

Michael knew better than to argue with her. They had been best friends for more than twenty years and he had been on the receiving end of many of her attempts at a stern look. “Okay”, he said.

Once they were inside Michael’s office, Allison closed the door behind her. “Mike”, she said again. “You okay?”

“Yes”, Michael said. “I’m doing great, actually. I worked out a ton and I feel great.”

“Mmm-hmm”, Allison said. “But…”

Michael sighed. “I’m good”, he said. “I’m… just… worried about Coop.”

Allison nodded. “How’s he doing?”, she asked.

“Hasn’t said much”, Michael said. “I don’t think he realizes what a big problem this is.”

“He has a physical soon, right?”, Allison said. “See what his doctor thinks about everything.”

“Yeah”, Michael said. “It’s this afternoon, actually. Gonna go home for lunch, then when Ry gets home from work, we’re all gonna go.”

“Need me to take care of Tessa for the day?”, Allison asked.

Michael shook his head. “She’s bowling with some of her friends from school today”, he said. “Going to pick her up at her friend’s house after Cooper’s appointment.”

Allison nodded. “Okay”, she said. “Well, good luck with everything.”

Michael smiled at her. Allison’s friendship was another thing that helped him get through the hard days. “Thanks, Al”, he said. “I’m worried, but… it’ll be okay. I think.”

“Come here”, she said holding out her arms.

Michael smiled warmly at her and accepted her hug. “Thanks, Schmitty”, he replied. “Love you.”

Allison grinned back at him. “Love you too, you big jerk”, she said.

Michael responded by kissing the top of her head. “See ya”, he said.

“Call me if you need anything”, Allison said.

Michael nodded. “Will do”, he said. “Thanks again.”

“Anytime”, Allison replied.

Michael smiled. “Okay”, he said. “Now I really have to go. I told Ryan I’d get lunch ready so we could eat before taking Cooper to his appointment.”

“Bye Mike”, Allison replied.

“Bye”, Michael said.

 

***

Michael went back to the house and heated up some leftovers for lunch. Tessa was already out with her school friends and Ryan was on his way home from work. When Ryan got home, the two of them ate together. Cooper said he wasn’t hungry, and refused to come into the kitchen with them, so he stayed in his room. He hadn’t eaten or slept since Michael and Ryan picked him up at the police station.

 

***

 

By the time they made it to the hospital for Cooper’s appointment, they had about twenty minutes to wait before the doctor would be ready for them. They walked around the gift shop for a little while.

Cooper wandered around aimlessly until he saw something that caught his eye. The latest issue of Glamour magazine was on the rack, and Kat was on the cover. Her hair was darker, and she was wearing a tight cropped shirt, and a pair of unbuttoned jeans with the waistband rolled down. The caption on the front of the magazine read: “Olympic Figure Skater Kat Long Spills All! Sex and Dating! Favorite things! And the diet and exercise plan that gave her that amazing body!” 

His curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know how she was doing and see the pictures with the article. He decided to buy it.

“For my sister”, he told the cashier who had given him a questioning look.

He couldn’t wait to get home to read the article. He knew it was weird, and that he probably wouldn't like what he read, if any of it involved him, but he had to know what it said.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Ryan make the decision to send Cooper to an inpatient treatment program. Ryan tries to voice his concern about how Michael handles stress.

Inside the doctor’s office, the doctor took all of his vitals. Everything was normal. His blood pressure was at a good level. He was naturally very thin, but his doctor said that his weight was still well within a healthy range for his height, especially given how much he worked out. As long as he was eating enough to offset the calorie loss, he would be fine. He also suggested that Cooper add more protein to his diet.

“Are you sexually active?”, the doctor asked.

“Not recently”, Cooper said bitterly.

“But you have been in the past?”, the doctor asked.

Cooper rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’ve fuc— been with - like, four or five girls”, he said. “But it’s been a couple months.”

“Four or Five?”, Ryan cut in. “You mean you don’t know?”

Cooper shrugged, and didn’t say anything. “It’s… whatever.”

Ryan and Michael exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything.

“What about drugs and alcohol?”, the doctor asked, changing the subject when he sensed that he had walked into an uncomfortable conversation.

Cooper made a face. “I got a DUI on New Years”, he said. “But I don’t drink a lot. Not usually.”

“Cooper”, Ryan said.

“What?”, Cooper asked.

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance. “Cooper, would you step outside the door for a minute, please?”, Michael asked.

Cooper grumbled and slid off of the examination table. He went out to the hall and waited.

“So, what’s going on?”, the doctor asked.

“We’re concerned”, Michael admitted. “He just got the DUI, but we found a lot of alcohol bottles in his room. He admitted that he’s been stressed lately. Maybe he was drinking to get rid of the stress? He’s a good student and athlete, but he puts a lot of pressure on himself.”

The doctor nodded. “Alcohol Abuse”, he said. “And at such a young age. You might want to consider getting him into a treatment program.”

“Therapy?”, Ryan asked.

“Rehab”, the doctor said matter-of-factly.

“No”, Michael said.

“No?”, Ryan repeated.

Michael paused. “Well… yes.”

Ryan grinned and squeezed Michael’s knee. “Yes or No?”, he asked.

“I mean… It’s a good idea”, Michael said. “So… It’s a yes from me, but Coop is never gonna go for that, so he’ll probably say no.”

“Doesn’t matter”, Ryan said. “He’s gonna have to go.”

“He’s an adult”, Michael pointed out. “he doesn’t have to do anything.”

“Legally, he’s still a kid for a few more weeks”, Ryan said. “I think we have to do this.”

“Yeah”, Michael said. “Might be good for his image too. Let the fans know he’s working on his issues.”

“The multiple breakups really screwed with him”, Ryan said.

Michael shook his head. “I think he’s been having issues since before the first breakup with Kat”, he said. “We need to figure out what to do and how to help him.”

Ryan looked at Michael and took his hand. “We’ll talk about it”, he said. “As a family.”

 

***

When they called Cooper back into the examination room he had a scowl on his face. He had heard everything. “I ain’t goin’ to rehab”, he said.

“Buddy, you need help”, Ryan said gently.

“No”, Cooper said. “No. No. No. Nope.”

“Another option is a partial program”, the doctor suggested. “It’s an all-day out-patient program. That way you can go home at night.”

Michael squeezed Ryan’s hand. “What do you think?”, he asked.

Ryan leaned on Michael’s shoulder. “Maybe that would work”, he said. “What do you think, Cooper?”

Cooper shook his head. “No”, he said. “Not happening.”

The doctor looked around the room at the three of them. “Well, it’s something to consider”, he said.

Ryan nodded. “Definitely”, he said.

“Definitely not”, Cooper said, crossing his arms across his chest and scowling.

“We’ll talk about it at home”, Michael said.

 

***

 

It was a hard day for all of them. When they got home from the doctor’s office, Cooper went right up to his room without saying a word. He took the magazine out of his backpack to read the article about Kat. He flipped through the glossy pages, skipping over articles about make-up, cute winter looks, and pleasing your man. Finally he came across Kat’s interview, with many pictures of her posing and smiling in various outfits. He smiled. She looked beautiful, even more so than he had ever seen her. He turned the page to read her interview, in which she talked about her hobbies outside of skating: dancing, yoga, and baking. She talked about her daily routine that she followed when she wasn’t on tour: up by 4 AM for a 5 AM practice at the rink, off to school until 3 PM, and back to the rink after school for another three hours. Once she was home, she would have dinner, do homework, and end the night with yoga. She talked about her diet: eating healthy, balanced meals, but also fitting in a few special treats throughout the week. On Saturdays, her schedule was the same, except for going to school. Sunday was her sweatpants and french toast day, and a day off from going to the rink. Near the end of the interview, she talked about her relationship with Cooper, and gave a lot of details about their breakup.

He tore out the pages and ripped them up. He threw the torn pages into the trash and threw the remainder of the magazine against the wall. It smacked against the wall and hit the floor with an unceremonious thud.

He laid down on his bed and buried his face in the pillows. Downstairs, Michael and Ryan were talking about everything that had happened, and trying to figure out how they should proceed. Michael had talked to Cooper’s agent, and they had made some decisions about the situation.

“I think I know what we should do”, Ryan said.

Michael nodded. “I’ll make some calls”, he said. “I’ll confirm with Octagon and they’ll get everything organized.”

Ryan went up to Cooper’s room and knocked on the door.

“Cooper, will you come down here please?”, he called.

Cooper groaned and got off of his bed and followed Ryan. He trudged downstairs to join them in the living room. “What do you want?”, he asked.

Michael and Ryan were sitting on the couch. Allison was sitting in the chair across the room.

“Say hi to Allison, Coop”, Michael said.

“Hi Aunt Allie”, Cooper said quietly.

“Hey kiddo”, Allison said. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. “How are you feeling?”

It took Cooper a moment, but he finally returned her hug and wouldn’t let go. “Not good”, he admitted sadly. “I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. I fucked up. I fucked everything up.”

Allison hugged him tighter. “You’re gonna be okay”, she said. “We all love you and we’re gonna get you through this. It’s going to be okay.”

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance, then they both stood up and went straight for Cooper and Allison. They hugged both of them together. When they let go, all four of them were crying. 

“We’re gonna get you some help”, Ryan said. “We have to.”

Cooper nodded. “That thing the doctor talked about where I can come home at night?”, he asked hopefully.

Michael, Ryan, and Allison all looked at each other. Michael finally broke the silence. “Buddy, we think it might be better if you took some time away. Get out of Maryland for a while and clear your head. Go off the grid. The change of scenery will be good for you.”

Cooper made a face then nodded. “Yeah, okay”, he said. “What do I have to do?”

“I need to make a few calls to get everything organized”, Michael said. “Your management team is taking care of making sure there isn’t too much publicity surrounding you leaving, aside from making a statement. You can let your friends know privately, if you want. You can do it before the statement is released tomorrow morning.”

Cooper nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I at least want to call Luke.”

“We’ll take care of letting the family know”, Ryan said.

“And I’m going to take care of Tessa for a few days”, Allison added. “While your dads get you settled.”

“When do I have to leave?”, Cooper asked.

“Two days”, Ryan replied.

“What about school?”, Cooper asked.

“We’ll work something out”, Michael said. “You’re going to miss a lot, but there’s always summer school.”

“Where is this place?”, Cooper asked.

“Colorado”, Ryan said. “You’re going to be away for about six weeks, two months tops.”

“So, the plans have already been made?”, Cooper asked.

Ryan nodded. “I’m sorry, buddy”, he said. “But it’s for your own good.”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Can I be excused? I want to call the guys and let them know what’s up.”

“Do you want something to eat first?”, Michael asked. “You haven’t been eating much lately.”

Cooper shook his head. “Not hungry”, he said.

Michael nodded and looked at Ryan who shrugged. His hand was still on Cooper’s shoulder. “Okay”, Ryan said. “Call your friends, then come back down here when you’re done.”

Cooper nodded and went back upstairs. He started by calling Luke. “Hey, dude”, Luke answered. “You never call me. You always just text. What’s up?”

“So…”, Cooper began. “After all the shit that went down the other day, Mike and Dad and Allie and my agent and my doctor all think I need rehab or some shit.”

Luke was quiet for a moment. “You need some help, bro”, he said. “Seriously.”

“Sucks though. Going to a place in Colorado”, Cooper said. “Leaving in a couple days.”

“How long you going for?”, Luke asked.

“Couple months”, Cooper said.

“Damn”, Luke said. “What about school?”

“Mike said that we’ll work something out”, Cooper said. “Whatever that means. Probably gonna have to go to summer school.”

“Oh”, Luke said. “Can you graduate with all of us in June?”

“Don’t think so”, Cooper said. “Not sure what’s going to happen. Guess we’ll figure it all out when I get home.”

“Bummer”, Luke said. “Sorry dude.”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Well, I gotta go. More calls to make.”

“I’ll call the guys if you want”, Luke said. “And other people from school. If you want to save yourself the time.”

“Cool”, Cooper said. “Thanks bro.”

“Anytime, Man”, Luke said. “Take care of yourself.”

“I’ll try”, Cooper said. “Bye.”

“Bye”, Luke said. “See you soon.”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “See ya soon.”

“Later”, Luke said, before hanging up.

When Cooper went back downstairs, Michael was on the phone. Ryan was sitting on the couch, going through some paperwork. Most of it was Cooper’s medical records. While they were all doing that, Tessa was getting ready to leave. She was going to be staying with Allison for a few days.

Cooper sat down next to him. “Hey dad”, he said.

Ryan put his arm around him. “Hey kid”, he said. “Call your friends?”

Cooper nodded. “Called Luke”, he said. “Filled him on everything. He said he’d tell our friends from school for me.”

“Nice of him”, Ryan said.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Can Mike tell my training group?”

“I’m sure he’d do that for you”, Ryan said gently.

“Okay”, Cooper said. “I’m really sorry Dad.”

Ryan put his arm around him. “I know you are, kid”, he said. “This will all be okay.”

Michael was on the phone with the intake department at the treatment facility. “Ten AM on the sixth”, Michael was saying to the person on the other end of the line, as he scribbled down some notes on the pad in front of him. “Okay. Great. We’re going to fly in sometime during the day tomorrow, get a hotel for the night, then head over in the morning.”

The person on the other end must have said something because Michael was quiet for a moment. “That’s right”, he finally said. “He’ll turn eighteen while he’s there. Yeah. Two weeks from now. Okay. Perfect. Thanks again.”

Michael pressed the end call button on the phone and made his next call. This one was to the company who handles his private jet. “Hi”, he said. can I get a flight from BWI to Denver tomorrow afternoon?”, he asked. “Anytime is fine. Just as long as we get where we need to go in the morning on the sixth. Okay. Great. Thank you.”

When he finished his phone calls, he went back into the living room. “Everything is all set”, he said.

“Okay”, Ryan said. “Thanks for handling everything, babe.’

“Of course”, Michael said. “My pleasure.”

“I found a hotel”, Ryan said. “It’s about a two hour drive from the facility.”

“Two hours?”, Cooper asked. “Where the fuck is this place?”

“Language, Cooper”, Ryan reminded him.

“Sorry”, Cooper said, making a face. “So where is this treatment center?”

“It’s basically in the middle of nowhere”, Michael said. “It’ll be good for you.”

“Nothing to do in the middle of nowhere”, Cooper lamented. “Can I bring video games and stuff?”

Michael shook his head. “No electronics”, he said. “You’ll be completely off the grid.”

Cooper pouted. “Bummer”, he said.

“It’ll be good for you”, Ryan told him. “So anyway, since it’s in the middle of nowhere, that’s why we’ll be staying so far away the night before. No hotels that close to the place.”

“We’ll have a car sent over, and the three of us will make the trip together”, Michael told him.”

Cooper nodded. “Okay”, he said. “How long can you guys stay?”

Michael and Ryan exchanged a glance. “We’ll stay until you get checked in”, Ryan said. “I don’t think they’ll let us stick around too long. We’ll go back to the hotel and stay over one more night once we drop you off.”

“Okay, I think Tessa and I are going to get going”, Allison said. “You guys all going to be okay?”

Michael nodded. He stood up and gave her a hug. “Yeah”, he said. “Thanks for being here.”

“Anything for you guys”, Allison replied. “You okay, Coop?”

“I guess”, Cooper said quietly.

Allison hugged him too. “Stay strong, okay?”, she said.

Cooper nodded. “Okay”, he said.

Michael knelt down next to Tessa. “Be good for Auntie Allie and Uncle Chris”, he said. “Dad and I will come pick you up in a few days.”

Tessa wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck. “Okay Dad”, she said. “Where are you going?”

Michael sighed and rubbed her back. He and Ryan had been trying to figure out a way to explain the situation to her in a way that her young mind could comprehend. They didn’t want her to feel like they were hiding something from her, but at the same time, she was still just a little girl, and didn’t need to know about certain things. “Dad and I are taking your big brother to a place that is going to help him get better”, he said gently.

Tessa nodded. “Okay”, she said. “Feel better, Cooper. I love you.”

Cooper’s face fell. He had been trying to keep his emotions in check, but the look on his little sister’s face broke his heart. A tear rolled down his cheek and he furiously tried to wipe it away. He ran over to her and hugged her. “I love you, little sis”, he said.

Tessa and Allison left. Ryan and Michael turned to look at Cooper. “How you doin’ Coop?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Okay, I guess”, he said. “I’m going upstairs.”

Michael smiled at him. “Before you go upstairs, Dad and I have a surprise for you”, he said. “Will you come into the kitchen with us?”

Cooper looked up and forced himself to smile. He nodded. “Yeah, okay. Sure”, he said.

Cooper followed Michael and Ryan into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Ryan opened the freezer and took out an ice cream cake. “We thought we could celebrate your birthday tonight since you won’t be here with us on your actual birthday in a couple weeks”. he said.

Cooper smiled weakly. “Thanks”, he said. His eyes grew wide when he saw what Ryan had taken out of the freezer. “Am I really allowed to have ice cream cake? It’s definitely not on the meal plan.”

Michael smiled. “Cheat snack”, he replied. “Even I’m going to cheat tonight.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “You two are the skinniest guys I know”, he said. “You’re going to give me a complex when you complain about your weight.”

“Nah”, Michael said. “You’re perfect.”

“I’m trying to watch what I eat”, Ryan said, looking at the cake with wide eyes. “But I love ice cream cake.”

“Cheat night for all of us then!”, Michael declared, as he began to slice up the cake. He cut three slices, put them on plates, and put them around the table.

“Cool”, Cooper said, as he dug into his slice of cake and took a big forkful. “Thanks guys.”

Michael and Ryan both hugged him from either side. “We love you, kid”, Ryan said.

“I love you guys”, Cooper replied, his voice barely audible.

“We have presents of you, bud”, Michael said.

“Presents?”, Cooper asked, with the same excitement and wonder he used to show as a kid. It was the most excitement Ryan and Michael had seen out of him in a long time, maybe even since before the Olympics.

“Yup”, Ryan said, as he placed the packages on the table in front of Cooper. He set one aside. “Open this one last.”

Michael and Ryan joined him at the table, and the three of them ate their cake while Cooper looked at the pile of presents in front of him on the table.

Cooper opened the first bag, and pulled out a few packages of socks. “Thanks”, he said sincerely. “I needed new socks.”

“Much more excited about socks than I was at his age”, Michael commented.

“Me too”, Ryan agreed with a laugh.

Cooper laughed too. “The old ones had holes in ‘em”, he replied. “Needed new ones, and these look so soft and comfy.”

The next box held a nice new wool coat for winter. Cooper tried it on, and it was a little loose on his lanky frame. 

Ryan laughed. “A little too big. It’ll fit better over a sweatshirt or something”, he said. “Something cushiony.”

Cooper laughed too. “It’s okay that it’s a little big”, he said. “It’s cozy.”

The next package had two new pairs of jeans and an Under Armour sweatshirt.

“Are the jeans the right size?”, Michael asked. 

Cooper looked at the tags. “Yeah”, he said. “Should be perfect.”

“Good”, Michael said.

“Wow”, he said. “These are Diesel.”

Michael nodded. “My favorite ones. I thought you’d like them too.”

Cooper smiled. “Yeah”, he said. “They’re great. Thank you so much, Mike.”

Ryan looked at Michael and smiled. “Good choice”, he said. “He loves ‘em.”

Michael nodded. “I figured he would”, he said.

“Fuckin’ expensive though”, Ryan said.

Michael grinned and shrugged. “Worth it”, he said.

Cooper opened the next package and pulled out a few books about stress management and improving your life. 

“Not very exciting, I know”, Ryan said. “But Mike and I thought…”

Cooper shook his head. “No, they look great”, he said. “Thanks.”

“I have the same ones”, Michael said. “They help. I know it sounds weird, but…”

Cooper smiled. “Thanks, Mike”, he said. He looked up at Ryan. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome”, Ryan replied.

“I’m glad you like your gifts”, Michael said.

“I love them”, Cooper said, smiling for the first time in a few days.

Michael smiled back and patted Cooper’s back. “The last gift is my favorite”, he said, sliding it towards Cooper.

“Oh yeah”, Ryan said. “This is a good one.”

“I’m excited to see what it is”, Cooper replied.

Cooper looked into the bag and pulled out a photo album. The cover of the album was also a frame and held a photo of Cooper at the Golden Goggles holding his award, surrounded by his family. Inside the album, were more pictures from that night, pictures from the Olympics, pictures various Pro Swim Series meets over the past few years, and age group meets from when Cooper was just a little kid. There were pictures from eleven years ago when Cooper had first started lessons with Luke, and one of Michael and Cooper right around the time of one of Cooper’s first lessons. There was also a picture from the day when Allison and Michael had arranged for Michael and Ryan to race each other.

“I still think you looked hot in that suit”, Michael said.

Ryan shook his head and laughed. “I’ve been telling you for years that it was way too small for me”, he said. 

“You started working out a lot after that”, Michael said. “Probably fits now.”

“And it’s too big for you, Skinny”, Ryan replied.

Michael grinned sheepishly as he pulled up his jeans that had slipped off of his hips. “Dropped a few sizes since then”, he admitted. “I was probably about thirty pounds heavier there.”

“You were perfect then. And now.”, Ryan said, eyeing Michael carefully. Between the rigorous workouts, strict diet, and the stress, Michael’s weight had dropped significantly. Ryan was concerned, but Michael always brushed it off, and Ryan decided to trust him. 

Cooper was naturally very thin, like his mother had been. Ryan took care of himself, worked out, and managed to stay fairly lean, just not as much as Michael and Cooper.

“I feel better now though”, Michael said. “When we met, I had been retired for a few months. Wasn’t working out nearly as much as I was leading up to Rio. I got back on track though.”

Cooper returned to flipping through the pictures, then looked up at Michael and Ryan with glassy eyes. “Thanks”, he said. “This is great.”

Michael smiled. “We thought you might like to take it with you”, he said. “While you’re gone, you can think about all the people who love you.”

Cooper nodded. “Thanks”, he said. “And thanks for the cake. I’m gonna go upstairs now.”

Ryan squeezed his shoulder. “Okay, kid”, he said. “We need to get you packed, but if you want to relax for a little while, go ahead.”

“Okay”, Cooper said.

Michael and Ryan watched him go. Ryan let out a heavy sigh. “This is tough”, he said. 

Michael rubbed his neck and back. “It’s all gonna be okay”, he said soothingly.

“Hope so”, Ryan said. “Speaking of, how are you doing?”

Michael kissed the top of Ryan’s head. “I’m okay”, he said. “Great, actually. Just worried about Cooper… and you.”

Ryan covered his eyes with his hands. “It’s all going to be okay, right?”, he asked.

Michael nodded. “Definitely”, he said.

“One more slice of cake?”, Ryan asked hopefully.

Michael rolled his eyes. “You are such a terrible influence”, he said. “But yes. One more slice can’t hurt. As long as I can find some time to work out tonight or tomorrow.”

“Good”, Ryan said. “This is delicious.”

Ryan and Michael sat down at the table and each ate a slice of cake. When they finished, Michael stood up and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

“Babe”, Ryan said.

Michael turned around. “Yeah?”, he asked.

Michael was leaning against the kitchen counter. His jeans were sitting low on his hips. Ryan stood up, faced Michael, and began to unbutton his shirt, displaying the bare skin of his lean frame.

“Hey”, Ryan said.

“Hey”, Michael said.

Ryan ran his hands along the smooth skin of Michael’s hard, lean torso. He ran his fingers up and down the ripple of muscle and gently rubbed the vascularity on Michael’s stomach that had recently become more prominent.

As Ryan continued to touch Michael all over, Michael draped his arms over Ryan’s shoulders. He had one hand on his back, and the other around Ryan’s neck. He played with the ends of Ryan’s hair.

“Babe”, Ryan said softly.

“Love you, Ry”, Michael said softly.

“Love you too”, Ryan replied. “And thank you for taking care of everything for Cooper.”

Michael tightened his grip on Ryan’s neck. “Of course”, he said.

“You take such good care of everyone”, Ryan said. “But I want you to take care of yourself too.”

“I do”, Michael said. “I eat healthy and I work out twice a day.”

“That’s what I mean”, Ryan said. “You push yourself too hard sometimes. Maybe you need to eat more.”

“It makes me feel good, Ry”, Michael said. “It’s my way of taking care of myself.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay”, he said. “I just worry about you.”

“No need to worry”, Michael said. “I’m good. Everything is good.”

“You sure”, Ryan asked. “I’m really worried about you”

“Everything is fine, Ry”, Michael said. “I feel amazing.”

“Okay”, Ryan said, not entirely convinced.

“Ry, I’m fine”, Michael said. “Promise.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay”, he said. He continued to run his hands up and down Michael’s body.”

“Feels good”, Michael said as he tipped his head back.

“Hold that thought”, Ryan said with a smile, as he broke free of Michael’s grasp, and went to the refrigerator. He pulled out a can of whipped cream and held it up to Michael, who laughed.

“What are you doing?”, Michael asked.

“Shhhh”, Ryan said. He opened the can, and sprayed some of it on Michael’s chest.

“Ryan!”, Michael exclaimed.

Ryan just laughed and began to lick the whipped cream off of Michael’s long torso.

“Oh my god, Ry!”, Michael exclaimed with a gasp. He laughed and threw his head back, drawing in a sharp breath.

Ryan took Michael’s sides into his hands. Michael’s back was arched and his breath was drawn. It made some of his bones protrude, and Ryan rubbed them with his thumbs.

“You’re so fucking hot”, Ryan said. “But your obsession with your diet and exercise worries me.” 

Michael shook his head. “I’m fine, Ry”, he said. “Lost a few pounds when I was sick, but everything is good. I feel good. Im getting leaner, and I feel really strong from working out more.”

“If you say so”, Ryan said with a shrug.

“Everything is good, Ry”, Michael said. “I haven’t been this cut since Rio. I was in the best shape of my life back then.”

Ryan nodded. “Just making sure that you’re taking care of yourself”, he said.

“I am”, Michael said. “Just watching what I eat and working out a lot. You know that.”

“I know”, Ryan said. “I guess I’m still just a little worried that you’re pushing yourself too hard. Maybe trying to cover up for other issues?”

Michael sighed. “Working out is good stress relief”, he said. “Getting leaner is just a side benefit.”

“What about your diet?”, Ryan asked. “Are you sure you’re eating enough?”

Michael nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I’ve been cutting back a lot, but I still get plenty to eat. I have tons of energy to work out, so that’s good. Been working on strength training too. I actually got my body fat percentage back to what it was when I was competing, which is crazy.”

“Damn”, Ryan said, poking Michael’s hard stomach. “What about your weight?”

“It goes up and down a lot”, Michael admitted. “I need to be careful, so probably no more cake for a while.”

Ryan laughed. “That’s fair”, he said. “But still… don’t be afraid to treat yourself more often. You work out a lot, you deserve it.”

“Yeah”, Michael said. “I try to be careful, but if you want me to stuff my face with cake…”

Ryan laughed again. “I do”, he said. “I can’t be the only one eating cake all the time.”

Michael smiled. “Sometimes I just don’t feel good about myself”, he said. “Working out and eating healthy makes me feel good, and if I feel good, I can pretend that everything else is good too…”

“I’m fine, Ry”, Michael said again.

Ryan made a noise of concern. “I worry about you sometimes”, he said, pinching Michael’s hip and kissing the indent of his shoulder blade. He knew he was pushing the issue, but Michael’s perfectionist streak was a cause for concern.

“Ry, I’m okay”, Michael insisted. “I feel really good. I haven’t felt like this in years.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay”, he said. “I love you MP.”

“Love you too, Ry”, Michael replied.

“Cake was good though, right?”, Ryan asked.

Michael grinned and fed Ryan a handful of the now slightly melted ice cream cake. “Delicious and Messy”, he agreed, as he wiped some on Ryan’s cheek and licked it off.

“Mmm hmm”, Ryan said.

They spread melted cake over each other’s faces and made a mess of the kitchen counter. When they finished licking it off,, Ryan undid Michael’s belt, slipped off his jeans and blew him right there in the kitchen.

Michael groaned appreciatively, and tugged on Ryan’s hair as Ryan continued to work him. “Oh, fuck, Ry”, Michael gasped as he arched his back. His stomach clenched, and he came.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Michael drop Cooper off at his treatment program.
> 
> There is a sequel planned, but it's just notes now. I'm going to try to find the time to work on it and post it.

The next day, Ryan, Michael, and Cooper flew to Colorado. They checked into their hotel, and Cooper went right to the fitness center. Michael and Ryan spent some time together while he was gone. 

Cooper went to the pool and swam back and forth until a family with young kids came into use the pool. He wanted to give them their space, and didn’t really want to be around people anyway, so he climbed out to dry off, and went down the hall to the gym. He went on the treadmill, and after a while, he started to feel dizzy. He hadn’t been eating much, because he hadn’t had much of an appetite since the night Ryan and Michael picked him up at the police station.

He took a shower in the locker room, then went back to the hotel room and crawled into bed. Ryan touched his back. “Mike and I are going to get something to eat”, he said. “Come with us.”

“No”, Cooper said. “Not hungry.”

Ryan sighed. “Okay”, he said. “Can we bring something back for you?”

Cooper rolled over. “Stomachache”, he replied, as if that were an answer.

“It’s probably because you haven’t been eating”, Michael said gently. “You’ll feel better if you eat, I promise. I know how hard it is to care about daily activities when you’re upset or stressed. I know that stress can affect your appetite Believe me, I do, but please eat something.”

“Mike knows that better than anyone, Coop”, Ryan said gently. “Please take his advice.”

Cooper sat up. “I know”, he said. “I’m sorry, Mike. Are you doing okay?”

Michael smiled and nodded. “Yeah”, he said. “I’m doing great, Coop. So what do you think? Do you want to come eat with us?”

Cooper shook his head. “Don’t think so”, he said quietly. “Don’t feel good.”

“Buddy, can we bring you something back from the restaurant?”, Ryan tried again.

Cooper sighed, then sat up. He looked at Michael and Ryan and saw the concerned looks on their faces. “No, it’s okay”, he said. “I’ll go too.”

“Yeah?”, Michael asked hopefully. 

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Just let me get dressed first.”

“Take your time”, Ryan said. “We’ll be in the lobby.”

Cooper put on his new jeans, and fastened his belt. He put on a t-shirt and pulled his new sweatshirt over his head. He put the jacket on over it and fastened the buttons. He left the room and went to meet Michael and Ryan in the lobby.

“Hey Coop”, Michael said. “New stuff looks good. Jeans fit okay?”

“Perfect”, Cooper said.

“Not too big?”, Michael asked. “I wasn’t sure what size to get.”

“No, they’re great”, Cooper said. “They feel good. They’re awesome.”

 

***

 

Cooper, Ryan, and Michael went out to eat at a restaurant not too far from the hotel. They had a nice meal together. Cooper seemed to be feeling better, and his appetite seemed to be getting back to normal. Actually, he ended up feeling so hungry, that they had to request another bread basket for the table while they waited for their food.

“I guess you were hungry after all”, Ryan said with a laugh.

Cooper nodded, and took big bite of a piece of bread slathered in butter. “Yup”, he said. “I was hungrier than I thought.”

“You feeling okay?”, Michael asked.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “Pretty good..”

Ryan rubbed Michael’s knee. “How about you?”, he asked.

Michael smiled and ate another french fry. “Great”, he said. “Couldn’t be better.”

“Good”, Ryan said. “I love you guys.”

When they got back to the hotel, the family Cooper had seen at the pool earlier was in the lobby, on their way back from the hotel restaurant. The mother knelt down and whispered something to the little girl and she ran over to Cooper.

“Excuse me?”, she said. “Are you Cooper Lochte?”

Cooper wasn’t in the mood for socializing with fans, but the idea of disappointing them, especially a kid, somehow made him feel worse. He looked down at her and smiled. “I sure am”, he said. “What’s your name?”

“Lucy”, she said quietly. “Can my brother and I get a picture with you?”   
“Of course you can”, Cooper said, trying as hard as he could to muster some enthusiasm.

“Brian!”, Lucy called, and the little boy ran over to them, and Cooper happily took a picture with the two kids, before following Michael and Ryan to their room.

“Thank you!”, the two kids called as they scurried over to their parents.

“You’re welcome”, Cooper said smiling at them and sharing a glance with their parents, who smiled back. “Have a nice night.”

“So nice to see famous people being friendly to their fans”, the woman said to her husband, as Cooper went to his room with Michael and Ryan.

Ryan was smiling proudly. “That was very nice of you”, he said, once they were inside the room. “You really made those kids happy.”

Cooper shrugged. “They were cute”, he said. “I like my fans.”

“Those kids are going to remember that for a long time”, Michael said.

“I’m glad”, Cooper said. “I really do like making my fans happy.”

Michael gave Cooper a hug. “Feeling okay, kid?”, he asked.

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “I’m okay.”

“Is there anything you want to ask us about tomorrow or anything else?”, Ryan asked.

Cooper paused. “Do I still have my sponsorships?”, he asked nervously.

Michael nodded. “They agreed not to drop you, as long as you can prove that this was a one time thing and that you won’t make a mistake like it again.”

“Okay”, Cooper said.

“It’s going to be okay, bud”, Ryan said.

“I’ll be back”, Michael said.

Michael went down to the fitness center to do his evening workout. When he got back to the room, Cooper was asleep. Ryan was sitting up in bed waiting for him. 

“Hey”, Michael said quietly.

“hey”, Ryan said. “Good workout?”

“Great”, Michael replied.

“Good”, Ryan said.

“Gonna shower”, Michael said.

When Michael finished his shower, he dried off, and slipped on a pair of shorts and climbed into bed next to Ryan.

 

***

Early the next morning, they had breakfast in the hotel lobby, then got into the waiting car to drive to the treatment center. It was early. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but after years of early practices, Cooper didn't have trouble being wide awake at that hour. 

The ride over there was long. It took a couple hours. When they arrived, Michael and Cooper walked inside to begin the check-in process, while Ryan followed closely behind with Cooper’s suitcases.

After checking in and signing some paperwork, they met with Nathan, Cooper’s case manager to talk about the treatment plan.

“Any history of alcoholism or other substance abuse in the biological family?”, Nathan asked.

Ryan shook his head. “None”, he said. “We’re all very healthy.”

“Any mental health issues?”, Nathan asked.

Ryan shook his head again. “None in the biological family”, head said. “But…”

“In the household?”, Nathan asked. “Environment can, but doesn’t always, play a factor.”

Michael was looking at his lap. He finally looked up to meet Nathan’s eyes. “I have pretty severe anxiety, and I’ve struggled with depression for the past twenty years”, he said. “I’m not related to Cooper biologically, and I’m usually okay, but I know I worried everyone for a while.”

Ryan reached over and squeezed Michael’s hand. “I love you”, he said quietly.

Michael swallowed and squeezed back. “Love you too”, he whispered.

“And Cooper… how long have you been drinking?”, Nathan asked.

“Since I started high school”, Cooper admitted. “I… hid it from my parents for a while.”

“What about drugs?”, Nathan asked.

“I’ve smoked pot a few times”, Cooper said. “And…”, he trailed off.

“And?”, Michael and Ryan repeated. They knew about the pot but they weren't aware that anything more than that had happened.

“I was at a party with friends a while back”, Cooper said. “…tried something I didn’t recognize. Got pretty sick.”

Cooper had forgotten that Michael and Ryan didn’t know about the night with the mystery drugs. He had lied about that too and kept it a secret. He didn’t really want to relive that night, considering how violently ill he had gotten at that party, but he also knew that he’d have to talk about everything in treatment. He figured that he might as well start now.

“And you don’t know what it was?”, Nathan asked, glancing at Michael and Ryan.

Cooper shook his head. “I asked, but the guy who gave it to me didn’t know either.”

“Cooper”, Ryan said.

“Sorry Dad”, Cooper said quietly.

“Do you understand how dangerous that is?”, Michael asked.

“I do now”, Cooper said. “Sorry.”

“Okay”, Nathan said. “I’ll work on your treatment plan. Now, if you want some time to say goodbye to your family, you can do that now. After that, turn in any electronics, that you brought with you, and go get settled. 

“Okay”, Cooper said sadly. He left the office and went back down the hall. He turned in his phone at the front desk, and followed Michael and Ryan outside and gave each of them a hug. “Thanks guys. I’ll see you soon.”

Ryan nodded. “Love you, kid”, he said.

“Love you Dad”, Cooper said. “Love you, Mike.”

“Love you kid”, Michael said. “Two months. Then you’ll be back home with us.”

“Yeah”, Cooper said. “So, I guess this is it. Bye guys.”

Ryan and Michael nodded and each hugged him again, then watched him turn around to leave.

Cooper walked back towards the center and turned around again to wave before walking inside, towards the next two months of his life.


End file.
